Written in Partnership with Maria Williams
Renowned British baker and founder of Bread Ahead, Matthew Jones, is expanding his business empire to Los Angeles. Jones has been a pastry chef for nearly three decades and has worked in some of London’s most prestigious hotels and restaurants. He founded Bread Ahead in 2013, which has since become an iconic bakery in England known for its handcrafted bread, pastries, and desserts. Bread Ahead has multiple locations across London, including a baking school where visitors can learn from Jones himself.
What sets Bread Ahead apart is their commitment to quality and tradition. Jones uses simple, natural ingredients and avoids shortcuts or artificial flavors. All baked goods are made by hand with a focus on technique and attention to detail. Jones has been recognized for his innovation and creativity in the industry, incorporating intelligent flavors into his products and creating his signature blend of coffee, served alongside his pastries at Bread Ahead.
Bread Ahead’s doughnuts have developed a cult following, with fans queuing around the block to try new flavors and classic favorites. Jones says the doughnuts take you on a deep, meaningful flavor journey that evokes nostalgia and celebrates taste.
Bread Ahead started as an artisan market trader and has since expanded to other key sites in London, all community-driven boutiques. They have even gone global, making their way to Saudi Arabia and Dubai while maintaining their quality ingredients and brand ethos. The next destination for Bread Ahead is Los Angeles, after Jones gained an appetite for the LA artisan scene while visiting the city for a meeting with the founder of Egg Slut. This resulted in Bread Ahead taking over the Egg Slut bread bun contract for the UK. Jones was inspired by LA’s bake scene and now hopes to open a Bread Ahead baking school in LA to inspire fellow bakers of all skill levels.
Most bakeries keep their recipes secret, but sharing knowledge and skills has always been Bread Ahead’s ethos. Jones plans to bring this sense of community and love for the craft to LA and eventually roll it out throughout the USA. Bread Ahead is known for reinventing the doughnut and sourdough, among other things, and will surely bring big flavors to an American market already appreciative of bold taste. Bread Ahead has always been about sharing their passion with the public, and their Instagram is a clear reflection of this: @Breadheadbakery
Matthew, did you always want to be a baker?
Matthew Jones: Yes, I had a connection with food from a young age. I was really fortunate as a school leaver that I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was first a chef, then became a baker.
What is it that sets Bread Ahead apart from other bakeries?
Matthew Jones: What sets us apart is that we are a combination of a production bakery, retail cafes, and we run immersive bakery workshops for all levels of bakers.
As a unique brand, what’s your favorite area in LA and the location you think Bread Ahead would fit in the most?
Matthew Jones: LA is so diverse that I would see us in multiple locations. My favorite hotspots are Sqirl, Animal, Gjusta, and Mozza. I usually stay down Venice beach area which will be our first site and we will take it from there.
What do you think would be the most successful baking classes that you would like to teach in Los Angeles? And why?
Matthew Jones: For sure the sourdough classes will be a huge hit in LA. We actually offer online live classes suitable for different time zones for those wanting to get involved immediately, otherwise we will roll out our baking school to LA.
We know you have a cult following for your doughnuts with many flavor profiles available, what flavor do you think would be the best seller in LA?
Matthew Jones: I would say classic vanilla will be the biggest hit, but let’s wait and see.
We heard you were launching an afternoon tea currently, what’s your unique take on it? And would you consider rolling out an afternoon tea experience in Los Angeles?
Matthew Jones: That’s true, our very first tearoom serving afternoon tea just launched above our Pavilion Road Bread Ahead boutique in Chelsea, London. We are all about doing classic things properly and letting the food speak for itself. A proper teatime experience. We would certainly look at rolling out our afternoon tea in Los Angeles because it would certainly bring something new to the city.
Thank you, Matthew Jones, for sharing your insights on Bread Ahead and your plans for expansion to Los Angeles. We can’t wait to see you build the same great following here that you did in England! Your commitment to quality and tradition, combined with innovation and creativity, has earned you a reputation as one of the best bakers in the world. We are excited to see Bread Ahead’s continued success and expansion, and we wish you the best of luck in your new venture in LA.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.