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How do you take an authentic British bakery brand from its roots in the heart of London’s historic Borough Market and create a flagship in the luxurious Mall of Emirates in Dubai?

This was the challenge that was presented to us by our long-term client, Bread Ahead. Our partnership began with the award-winning Wembley Park bakery and school three years ago and since then we’ve helped them roll out their award-winning bakeries and baking schools across the capital. Earlier this year, they had a huge opportunity to delve into a new market with a new audience - Dubai!

The baking process is a huge part of the Bread Ahead experience. The customer is invited into the bakers’ kitchen, getting to see the craftsmanship, care and culinary ingredients first-hand as they have a front-row seat to the baking process. This is not common in Dubai, where food and goods are prepared back-of-house, miraculously appearing - albeit beautifully presented - on countertops at the end of the process. And indeed, this was the preference Mall of Emirates had for the store’s layout.

Yet we wanted to change this - not only to stay true to the Bread Ahead brand but also to capitalise on the novelty of this behind-the-scenes access. We wanted to champion process as part of the experience and something to see in itself; and for Bread Ahead to be the leaders of this approach in the Dubai market. So, as in our British bakeries, we included an open bakery, large glass displays and countertops made of natural materials, which become more beautiful as they wear through the labour and love of the baking process.

We also knew that Bread Ahead’s London connection was central to the brand too. From British recipes, to its beginnings in the iconic Borough Market. The key to the brand - and the sophistication of the Mall of Dubai setting - was to ensure this was conveyed subtly. So through details such as metal frontage evocative of the iconic Borough Market along with signage, we included nods to the brand and its roots.

The combined result of this approach was an invitation to British baking, a window into London, and a mixture of nostalgia for ex-pats and novelty for Emiratis. With Bread Ahead confirming they were ““over double our target sales so far and no signs of slowing down before Ramadan” it’s clear this was a recipe for success.