TOAD Bakery

TOAD Bakery’s second London site brings the independent South London bakery to Deptford, combining production, retail and community within a single open, working environment.

Founded by Rebecca Spaven and Oliver Costello, TOAD has built its identity around handmade baking, wholegrain-forward sourdough, inventive pastries and seasonal ingredients. At its core is a belief in making good food accessible while celebrating the craft and people behind it. The Deptford site provides TOAD with a larger bakehouse while retaining the direct, informal relationship between bakery, baker and customer that defines the brand.

The design team, led by Stefan Shaw Studio with designer and carpenter Nick Tudor, developed the space around the idea of making the process of baking visible. Rather than separating production from the customer experience, the open kitchen sits at the heart of the bakery, allowing the activity of making to become part of the space.

A long, curved sweet chestnut counter guides customers through the bakery, incorporating display, preparation and service areas while responding to the practical demands of TOAD’s busy queues. Stainless steel elements bring a more utilitarian character, contrasting with the warmth of the timber.

Materials have deliberately been allowed to retain traces of their making. Pencil and chalk marks remain visible in the chestnut, while the stainless steel carries the working character of the fabrication process. The result is an interior that avoids feeling overly polished, instead reflecting TOAD’s own approach to craft, honesty and hands-on production.

The architecture therefore becomes an extension of TOAD’s philosophy: a working bakery rather than simply a retail space. Production, display and customer movement overlap, creating a direct connection between the people making the food and those coming to eat it.