Fresh Baked Bread and Cinnamon Buns: San Pedro’s The Baker

Ambergris Caye’s “The Baker” has been open for about five years.    With various locations and a handful of different owners, I hadn’t been much of a customer.   And honestly?  I hadn’t heard much about it around town.

Without rave reviews, I was just going to stay away.  Though I am no health nut, the last thing I wanted was to find myself alone on a Friday night with a fresh baked loaf of whole wheat bread, a stick of butter and my toaster oven.   The guilt would be hard to bear.

But over the past six months, I’ve seeing glorious pictures of pastries and treats on Facebook and heard friends working through the cinnamon bun guilt, their cinna-sins (sorry)…even setting up rules like “only one a week” or “I’m giving them up for Lent”.

Time to get in there.  I started with the VERY convenient coffee station.  $2bzd cup of coffee.  Make your own.  To-go cups.  AND it tastes good.  San Pedro’s own Caye Coffee in fact.

And then I graduated to the baked goods.

How gorgeous are these slightly cooled and freshly iced?

 

Or served at The Bakery with a proper plates and cups?  Ask for your treat slightly warmed.  It is divine.  And if your visit is properly timed, they will even ask if you want extra icing.  Extra icing?  Are there any sweeter words?Soft flaky buttery.  The outside ring ALMOST as tasty as the heart.

The Baker has a lovely sitting area that actually can get quite busy in the late mornings.  This place is becoming a hot spot for locals and visitors alike.

Order, have a seat and watch and smell as Rudolfo, the baker, and his assistants churns out loaves, rolls and all sorts of delicious stuff.

Grate fresh coconut for the coconut tarts…

Rudolfo learned by baking in restaurants and shops in Belize City and now starts baking here as early as 2am.  He’s a cutie.

Focaccias and baguettes…

 

 

LOVE the pretzels.

And the bread selection.  The prices, to me, are extremely reasonable.  My cinnamon bun costs $3bzd.  A loaf of bread around $5.

Ken and Emily are the LOVELY GRACIOUS couple that bought The Baker last spring and have been running it ever since.  They are in the shop serving customers all day, every day and seem to know everyone by name.

Emily delivers your warmed pastry herself.

 

Both are originally from Ireland (you will know immediately when you speak with them) and have been in the catering business there and then in South Africa for years.

Oh my goodness!  I almost forgot another favorite part of mine (other than the fact that The Baker is a 4 minute walk from my front door) – The Baker makes BREAKFAST and lunch sandwiches.

Sandwiches are not that popular in Belize and VERY popular where I am from.  I am always craving a good sandwich.    A vehicle to deliver large amounts of yellow mustard to my stomach.  Well?  Here you go.  For breakfast, I tried the croissant HEAPING with bacon, egg and cheese.  This thing is HUGE and delicious.

The lunch sandwich on fresh baked bread or rolls with a huge assortment of toppings and condiments is also delicious.  And only $10bzd.

Olives?  Yes please.

Located about one mile, maybe a mile and a half south of town in what I call “Marinaville” – the small mini-town around Marina’s Store, The Baker is also right across the street from Super Buy South.

Try it.  So that you too can automatically start drooling for a cinnamon bun each time you pass their place.  For me?  That’s 4-6 times a day.