Ground Bakery, Pontcanna

It’s really bloody hard out there at the moment, eh pals? In between endless news cycles lurching us from crisis to crisis, I’m finding it really important at the moment just to have something to look forward to and get me through the week. Right now? That thing is Saturday mornings. It’s a promise of doing things on my own time, my girlfriend and I taking the dog out for a long walk, building up an appetite and finding somewhere delicious for Lunch.

Since I got back from holiday, I’ve increasingly leaned into this state of mind and have been working through places that have been perpetually “on the list” for a visit. For a long time, Ground Bakery has been on top of that list. One of the main reasons, if not the only one, why it hasn’t been ticked off yet is because they don’t take bookings. I get why so that’s not a criticism, but it does mean it can be difficult to get yourself a table, especially during peak brunching hours in the home of the quasi-meal itself, Pontcanna. Perseverance is definitely key because after all, there must be a reason why it’s so busy.

There was an attempt, and another and maybe one more but we eventually managed to bag a seat. A box office seat at that, right next to a window that gives you a look into the kitchen. If you’re a food nerd like me, this is exactly where you want to be. The goings on in a kitchen have always fascinated me, I still can’t get my head around the level of organisation it takes to run one so to watch chefs at work always leaves me with a level of appreciation and admiration for what they do. This kitchen is a calm one, as you’d expect for a place serving brunch but watching it whir into action as an order comes through is addictive viewing, even more so when you can see your plate being prepared.

If you’ve read any review, insta caption or trip advisor post, you’ll know that there is one menu item which gets mentioned constantly: The overnight bacon. We’re told that it’s actually a slab of pork belly - slow cooked and then dehydrated overnight. Just before service it’s given a quick brush in Maple Syrup and then flash fried under a grill. I know that all sounds a bit wanky and it absolutely is, but it’s that type of wanky (really didn’t expect to end up using that word twice) where the results justify the means. The pictures say it all but for the avoidance of any doubt it’s sweet and salty, the fat superbly rendered to a point where it’s crisp and spoon tender at the same time. It is delicious. The rest is your usual brunch affair which would be boring and probably patronising to try and talk you through and though everything here is cooked as well as they can we all know what poached eggs, fried mushrooms and toasted sourdough taste like right? There is an Nduja oil to add a little pzazz to things but ultimately, the bacon is the undoubted star of the show and Ground knows that.

We manage to bag another seat a few weeks later (there may have been a failed attempt in between) and for our second visit we just about avoid making a ten portion order of the bacon and go for a com comparably lighter plate. Again, I’ll spare you the detail of the accoutrement (Toasted Sourdough, Avo and Poached Eggs if you need to know) as the focus here is again entirely on its main ingredient which is a healthy tranche of impeccably sourced Llys Meddyg smoked salmon. 

Llys Meddyg - A quick Google will tell you a feel good story of a restaurant in Pembrokeshire and an award winning passion project. Llys Meddyg source their salmon from Wester Ross in North West Scotland. The Salmon here is sustainably bred, hand reared and generally just treated with the respect all animals who end up on our plate deserve. The salmon, once it reaches West Wales is then cold smoked slowly and in small batches and it’s only now after years of testing that it’s now available to the public and officially an award winning product. It’s a tale befitting the quality of the fish which is unlike much you’ll get anywhere else. The serving here is in the form of generous, steadfast chunks. It has a level of lavish fattiness that is testament to the cold waters in which they lived. It’s just an absolute first class product and I’m already eyeing up how I can get myself some for this year's Christmas breakfast. I’d probably even suggest you get it over the bacon, maybe, actually just order a side of bacon and treat it as dessert. You deserve it.

Price wise - as expected, it is a little pricier than your average greasy spoon. A breakfast/brunch and a coffee will comfortably set you back around £15 which even as I’m typing this now I can’t help but feel is actually a bit of a bargain. You absolutely get what you pay for here, everything seemingly has its own story to tell and I’m really looking forward to spending many more Saturday mornings here making my way through the menu.