Live DJs, pizza and drinks will greet you at the opening party for Hamblin Snack Bar and Goodies on Saturday night in Oxford’s Covered Market.
Ready to celebrate in style, Hamblin Snack Bar is the newest incarnation from the infamous Hamblin Bread on Iffley Road where the queues start early until the bakery runs out of bread.
Hamblin Snack Bar is positioned in the former butchers opposite Bonners Veg, and boasts some stunning and inventive sandwiches made on baciata bread – a Roman focaccia baked there fresh every morning.
Headed up by Hamblin owner Hugo Thurston and chef Zoltan Gothard who has worked at the likes of Le Manoir and Pompette, the fine dining chef changed tack to join Hugo as co-owner of Hamblin Snack Bar, doing all the baking and concocting the fillings himself.
‘we were busy from day one, so it’s going well. people come to Hamblin Snack Bar because our food is tasty’
Which is why you will find the likes of The Reuben on the menu – salt beef, sauerkraut, cheese and Russian dressing, or The Caesar – roast chicken,, Caesar dressing and lettuce, The Kosta – feta, olives, almonds, roasted red pepper and red pepper sauce and The Sara – roast cauliflower, chickpea puree, coriander and preserved lemons, alongside numerous specials such as roast pork with tzatziki and fresh tomatoes.
And while Hamblin Snack Bar has been open for a few months now, alongside it’s mini Hamblin bakery kiosk next door, when Goodies mens clothes shop opened recently, they decided it was time to celebrate in style.
‘The Covered Market is really evolving and everyone is raising their game to offer something new and different in terms of what’s available here’
So why The Covered Market? “It’s so central and brings back so many childhood memories, especially for Hugo who visited here as a child.
“And there are so many new foodie ventures opening up here READ ABOUT IL CORNO OPENING HERE alongside late night opening times in the evenings READ ABUT TAP SOCIAL OPENING HERE it seemed like the perfect opportunity for Hamblin” Zoltan explains.
“Because The Covered Market is really evolving and everyone is raising their game to offer something new and different in terms of what’s available here.”
‘Hopefully this is the first of many. We haven’t planned anything yet but it would be nice to branch out further afield in Oxfordshire’
So was it a gamble opening there? “Not at all because we were busy from day one, so it’s going well – people come to Hamblin Snack Bar because our food is tasty!
“Of course our biggest customers are the students but in the summer we get lots of tourists coming in and locals working nearby who come in everyday for their lunch, so yes we thought now was the right time for an official launch party!”
And are there further Hamblin Snack Bar‘s in the pipeline? “Hopefully this is the first of many. We haven’t planned anything yet but it would be nice to branch out further afield in Oxfordshire,” Zoltan confirms.
‘being a chef by trade helps with concocting some of the more unusual filling combinations and making sure all the flavours work together’
He must love baking then to get up at 4.30am every morning? “I do,” he grins. “I’m from Romania, and cakes and bread are big over there. When my dad got back from work he’d immediately help himself to a piece of cake so it’s how I grew up. But being a chef by trade helps with concocting some of the more unusual filling combinations and making sure all the flavours work together.
The baciata dough process was taught to them by local Italian chef and baker Mariella Bliss who showed them how to make the dough and when to add the olive oil which they then adapted to use their own flour, resulting in its light, holey appearance.
‘We are really looking forward to having a party ‘
“Looking forward to Saturday then? “it’s really exciting. We are really looking forward to having a party from 6.30pm- late and everyone is invited,” Zoltan smiles.
Hamblin Snack Bar is open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-4.30pm and the bakery next door Thursday-Sunday 10am-3pm. https://hamblinbread.co.uk
Goodies can be found on Instagram @goodiesoxford
