Belgian restaurant and boulangerie Le Pain Quotidien is delighted to open its first out-of-London restaurant in Bicester village

by Peter Jenkins, Managing Director, Le Pain Quotidien

Le Pain Quotidien means the daily bread. And to us, that means everything. It’s much more than mere sustenance; it’s a way of life. As our loaves emerge from the ovens, warm and fragrant, friends gather around our communal tables to share in the time-honoured tradition of breaking bread.

Our bakers blend organic stone-ground flour, sea salt and water with a wild yeast levain starter to create a humble four-ingredient beginning. The dough is then kneaded patiently by hand, and baked according to tradition – in exactly the same way as our founder, Alain Coumont, did when he first started out 25 years ago.

And 2016 marks a really exciting time for us as we expand outside of London for the first time in our history, bringing a touch of authentic European flavour to a captive new audience.

Bicester Village is the ideal location because it has a well-established local community and vibrant economic and tourism activity, which can clearly embrace our business as well as the create new jobs in the surrounding area.

The community is at the very heart of what we do. You can see this in our trademark communal tables, built from wood salvaged from the floors of retired Belgian trains which have become an integral part of our restaurants, bringing a touch of rustic comfort to our guests who come to share in the appreciation of good food.

Alongside seeking out high quality produce from organic suppliers, we pride ourselves in serving up seasonally changing dishes made with only the freshest ingredients. Our talented team of chefs work hard to prepare simple, wholesome and sustainable food choices for any time of the day.

Our menu caters for all ages, including young families and busy shoppers in the area with a selection of healthy homemade offerings including organic soups, gourmet salads, frittatas, hot dishes and signature tartines.

With baking being at the heart of what we do, our baking classes form an important part of our community ethos. We take pride imparting our knowledge and tricks of the trade in making fresh bread, seasonal cakes and cookies. Designed for all stages, whether you are an expert baker or a novice to the art, we’d love to see you. We also offer kids baking and cookie decorating classes throughout the year. We believe you are never too young to start baking!

Open all day, from breakfast through to lunch, afternoon tea and early evening, you’ll find us as you explore the village, with a spacious outside terrace perfect for the coming warmer months. With classical music nights, happy hour, table talks and supper clubs and tasting events scheduled throughout the year, we really look forward to welcoming new and existing guests through our doors.