Bara: New Welsh Cafe Opens Peckham by Cecily Dalladay, Zoë Heimann

Key Points

• A new Welsh cafe called Bara is set to open in Peckham, south London, in February 2026, specialising in Welsh food and drink.
• Bara will be located on Choumert Road, a well-known street in Peckham with an established independent food and drink scene.
• The cafe is scheduled to open its doors on 12 February 2026, targeting local residents, commuters, and weekend visitors.
• The menu will feature freshly baked bread produced in-house, with a focus on traditional methods and high-quality ingredients.
• Signature dishes will include Caerphilly cheesesteaks, bringing a Welsh twist to a classic comfort-food format.
• Other menu highlights will feature leek, bacon, and cockle sandwiches, referencing iconic ingredients associated with Welsh cuisine.
• Drinks will include Welsh coffee and a curated selection of Welsh beer, emphasising producers from across Wales.
• The cafe is co-owned by chefs Cecily Dalladay and Zoë Heimann, who bring significant professional culinary experience to the venture.
• Co-owner Cecily Dalladay has previously competed on MasterChef: The Professionals, gaining national exposure and recognition for her cooking.
• After MasterChef: The Professionals, Cecily worked as a personal chef, providing bespoke menus and private dining experiences.
• Co-owner Zoë Heimann previously served as head chef at Pique Café, a role that involved menu development, kitchen leadership, and quality control.
• The owners aim to combine their professional backgrounds to create a neighbourhood cafe that showcases Welsh flavours in a relaxed, modern setting.
• The launch of Bara contributes to the growing trend of regional British cuisines being highlighted in London’s hospitality sector.
• The focus on Welsh produce and recipes is expected to differentiate Bara from other cafes in Peckham’s competitive market.
• The opening date gives the owners time to finalise fit-out, menu testing, and staff training ahead of welcoming customers.
• Local interest is likely to be driven by both the novelty of a Welsh-focused cafe and the reputations of the two chefs.
• The cafe’s positioning on a busy local high street is expected to attract both regulars and destination diners seeking something different.
• The name “Bara” evokes the Welsh word for bread, underlining the central role of baking in the cafe’s identity.
• By pairing traditional Welsh ingredients with contemporary cafe dishes, Bara aims to appeal to both Welsh expatriates and curious Londoners.

Peckham (South London News) January 31, 2026 – A new cafe dedicated to Welsh food and drink, named Bara, is set to open on Choumert Road in Peckham on 12 February 2026, offering freshly baked bread, Caerphilly cheesesteaks, leek, bacon and cockle sandwiches, alongside Welsh coffee and beer, under the guidance of co-owners and chefs Cecily Dalladay and Zoë Heimann.

How is Bara positioning itself within south London’s food scene?

Bara is positioning itself as a neighbourhood cafe that foregrounds Welsh culinary traditions while operating within a familiar south London cafe format. By choosing Choumert Road in Peckham, an area already associated with independent eateries and creative businesses, the owners are situating the venture in a location where customers are accustomed to trying new and distinctive offerings.

The emphasis on Welsh food and drink gives the cafe a clear thematic identity from the outset. Rather than presenting a broad British menu, Bara will specialise in Welsh ingredients and recipes, which allows it to stand out in a crowded market while still remaining accessible through recognisable cafe staples such as sandwiches, baked goods, and coffee-based drinks.

What will be on the menu at the new Welsh cafe?

The menu at Bara is built around freshly baked bread, which will act as a foundation for much of what is served. The choice of the name “Bara” – echoing the Welsh word for bread – signals that baking will be central to the cafe’s daily operation, from morning service through to late afternoon. Customers can expect bread that is made in-house, reflecting an emphasis on quality and craft.

Among the standout items will be Caerphilly cheesesteaks, which adapt the concept of the classic cheesesteak by using Caerphilly, a crumbly, tangy Welsh cheese. This dish combines the comfort and familiarity of a warm, indulgent sandwich with a distinctly Welsh ingredient. It also reflects a broader trend of regional cheeses being foregrounded in casual dining menus.

Another notable feature will be leek, bacon, and cockle sandwiches, drawing directly on ingredients widely associated with Welsh coastal and rural cooking. Leeks are a national symbol of Wales, bacon provides richness and texture, and cockles link the menu to traditional seaside and estuary harvesting. Bringing these elements together in sandwich form allows the cafe to present tradition in a format suited to a busy urban clientele.

On the drinks side, Bara plans to serve Welsh coffee and beer, integrating Welsh producers into its beverage list. Featuring Welsh coffee suggests the use of beans roasted by Welsh-based roasteries, while Welsh beer on tap or in bottles and cans will showcase breweries from different parts of Wales. This reinforces the cafe’s aim to represent Welsh food culture in both solid and liquid form.

Who are the people behind Bara and what are their credentials?

Bara is co-owned by chefs Cecily Dalladay and Zoë Heimann, both of whom have established careers in professional kitchens. Their backgrounds are central to the cafe’s identity, as they bring not only technical skill but also a public profile and industry experience that can help attract customers and staff.

Cecily Dalladay has previously taken part in MasterChef: The Professionals, a high-profile televised cooking competition that tests chefs on technique, creativity, and consistency under pressure. Participation in this programme typically exposes chefs to a national audience and can significantly raise their profile within the culinary community.

Following the competition, Cecily has worked as a personal chef, designing bespoke menus and cooking for private clients, a role that requires adaptability, strong organisational skills, and attention to individual preferences.

Her experience as a personal chef means she is accustomed to working closely with suppliers, planning menus around seasonal availability, and delivering a high standard of food in varied settings. Those skills are directly transferable to running a cafe kitchen, where menu development, daily specials, and customer feedback must be managed in real time.

Zoë Heimann previously served as head chef at Pique Café, taking responsibility for leading the kitchen team, overseeing menu creation, and maintaining quality and consistency during service. A head chef role generally involves both creative and managerial duties, from training staff to liaising with front-of-house teams and suppliers.

That background suggests that Zoë will play a key role in the operational structure of Bara, ensuring that systems are in place to support the menu and service style the owners envision.

Together, Dalladay and Heimann bring complementary experience: one with a strong media-facing profile and bespoke catering background, the other with hands-on leadership in a busy cafe environment. This combination underpins their effort to build Bara as a sustainable, well-run business that reflects their shared interest in high-quality, approachable food.

When and where will the Welsh cafe open in Peckham?

Bara is set to open on 12 February 2026 on Choumert Road in Peckham, a part of south London known for its mixture of long-standing local businesses and newer independent venues. Locating the cafe in this area positions it to draw custom from local residents, commuters using nearby transport links, and visitors who travel to Peckham specifically for its nightlife, food, and cultural events.

The February opening date provides a clear timeline for the final stages of preparation, including the completion of any remaining fit-out work, the installation and testing of kitchen equipment, and training for front-of-house and kitchen staff.

An early-year launch can allow the business to establish its routines and customer base ahead of busier spring and summer periods, when outdoor seating and longer daylight hours tend to increase footfall.

By confirming both the date and the precise street location, the owners are signalling that the project is in its advanced stages rather than an early concept. This level of specificity can be important for building anticipation among potential customers, particularly those interested in regional food experiences or who follow the work of chefs with prior media exposure.

Why is a Welsh-focused cafe significant in London’s hospitality landscape?

Opening a Welsh-focused cafe in south London carries significance both for representation of regional British cuisines and for the diversification of the capital’s hospitality offerings. London has long been home to restaurants and cafes highlighting international cuisines, but dedicated spaces for Welsh food and drink have been comparatively rare, especially in casual, everyday formats such as neighbourhood cafes.

By centring Welsh ingredients and recipes, Bara adds another layer to the city’s culinary map, offering something distinct from more familiar formats like Italian coffee bars, French patisseries, or general British brunch spots. For Welsh residents in London, such a venue can provide a sense of connection to home through familiar flavours and products, while for other diners it presents an opportunity to explore a different regional tradition without the formality or price point of fine dining.

The decision to stock Welsh beer and serve Welsh coffee also has potential economic implications, as it creates a direct outlet in the capital for producers based in Wales. This can help raise the profile of those producers and possibly lead to broader distribution opportunities. In an era when provenance and regional identity are increasingly important to consumers, clearly labelling and promoting Welsh-origin products can be a selling point as well as a statement of intent.

Moreover, the background of the co-owners—one with televised competition experience, the other with head-chef credentials—may draw attention from food media and online communities. If Bara succeeds, it could encourage further ventures that highlight specific UK regions, contributing to a more granular and diverse representation of British food culture across the city.