Operator profile: Gorse

Nat Galliano-Hale and Anna Gerrans, co-owners of Gorse in Cornwall, tell Richard Piper about their rise to success...

Driving along Scotland Road, just off the A30 between Newquay and Truro, you could be forgiven for thinking that nothing exists there apart from the natural beauty of the Cornish countryside. From the Truro end you will likely pass the small, converted horse cart selling free range eggs – ‘thieves will be prosecuted’ – but thereafter it appears to be fairly uninhabited.

Drive a little further, however, and you will reach a collection of once derelict farm outbuildings that have been transformed into a community of studio spaces known as Lanteague – and this is where the road gets very interesting. From these spaces the vision is to offer a home to a thriving collection of artisan businesses, and Gorse Café and Bakery became a part of this in April of this year.

Gorse quickly became a hotspot in Newquay after opening in 2021, with owners Nat Galliano-Hale and Anna Gerrans baking outstanding sourdough loaves for cafés and restaurants around the county. Nat was originally a chef in London, having trained in kitchens, making his way up the ranks, while Anna is a trained make-up artist.

The pair moved to Cornwall in 2020, and when Nat was made redundant from a local Cornish firm, he wanted to continue his passion for good food. They saw a gap in the market for an independent, good quality wholesale bakery and ended up taking the plunge. 

Wholesale business boomed quickly, and word got out that a weekly counter at the site was open to the public, where they would sell what is known as their ‘infamous’ pastel de nata and other delicious wares such as a Marmite, pickled green chilli and Cornish cheddar sourdough. As lines grew longer and longer it soon became clear that larger premises were needed, and Lanteague provided the answer.

“Ultimately, our wholesale trade picked up so much that we needed more space to create more things,” says Nat. “It's always been our dream to have a bigger location and invite customers to sit in.

“We started out as solely wholesale and, thanks to the support of our local community and customers, we’ve now been able to grow as a business. There’s an appetite for people to visit us directly and Lanteague suits us perfectly as it’s all about community.

“We were incredibly lucky with the support of our locals when we first started over Covid, and supporting them and their businesses in return is a big part of our ethos. The space has become a hub for people catching up, so in-turn we’re developing a community of our own.”
It's not surprising that the space is so popular, as its Nordic influences provide a bright and inviting environment that is flooded with light as a result of the height of the original barn structure. With a commitment to supporting other small businesses, all of the interior work was designed and built by Timpson Carpentry, with the wood being felled and milled locally, while Owen Davies from Gulland Rock fabricated the impressive two-metre-long bread rack and Kim Moore from Cornish Hardwood Supplies crafted the wooden shelves.

Milk is sourced from the St Ives-based Trink Dairy, while the coffee is from Foundation Coffee Roasters, also from St Ives. “We use fresh flowers from the farm behind us,” adds Anna, “and when sitting in, customers can see the bakers at work, which is proving incredibly popular.”
Hard at work they certainly are, and the counter is heaving with a range of pastries – from traditional croissants and raspberry bostocks to the aforementioned sourdough. Nat tells me that they try to keep the offering fresh but steady, with certain staples remaining on the counter daipy and other elements changing when inspiration strikes – which is often! The pastel, I can tell you, is nothing short of incredible, and a sourdough loaf or two will certainly not be making it back to London intact.

When I ask about the future, both Nat and Anna are excited. They tell me they hope to revive the Gorse Supper Clubs they had run last year at their old location in Newquay, and that these should be open for booking towards the end of this summer.

They also have grand plans to grow their own fruit and vegetables in small, no-dig beds for the bakery. “We’re keen to stick to our roots,” Anna says, “doing things independently and still providing good quality products. At the moment, we’d love to cover the whole of Cornwall, and who knows what the future holds. We do know that this is just the beginning, and we are loving the chance to welcome familiar and new faces to our space at Lanteague.”

It is certainly an exciting prospect to think Gorse could spread its wings across Cornwall, and for one certainly hope they decide to travel east as well. The pair’s passion for bringing the best to their customers and supporting those around them is admirable, and from experience I can tell you that the end result is very well executed indeed.

So, the next time you find yourself in Cornwall, idling along Scotland Road, stop for some eggs – not forgetting to pay, of course – and then carry on until you reach Lanteague. Gorse will be waiting, and you will not be disappointed.

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