Artisan delights
Seeking local, sustainable delights? Welcome to Wild & Ginger, Southbourne's newest foodie hub. Join us for a chat with founder Emma Sclanders as we delve into her unwavering commitment to locally sourced, sustainable ingredients. From handpicking suppliers who align with her values to crafting each dish from scratch on-site, Emma's passion shines through in every bite.
Can you give us an intro to Wild & Ginger?
Hi! So Wild & Ginger is an artisan bakery and coffee shop. We are based in lovely Southbourne, on The Grove and have been open for a little over 5 months! I’ve always wanted my own bakery but somehow ended up as an accountant. During the pandemic I decided I needed to fix that. My aim is to take food back to basics. All the food we sell is cooked from scratch on the premises, starting with the base ingredients. We don’t use any additives or preservatives, and really care about the ingredients we use. It’s also important to me that Wild & Ginger is accessible and welcoming to everyone and for the space to be used and enjoyed by the local community.
Congratulations on opening your first cafe! Why did you choose Southbourne to be the home for your business?
We live in Southbourne, my husband grew up here and I love it! The Grove has the most fantastic mix of independent shops and the standard of food is incredible!! In May last year, I left my job and started doing a pop-up at Parlourmentary and then when this place became available I couldn't believe my luck. When we moved to Southbourne I told my husband that I wanted this shop. There is something about the character of the building that I just adore, it has a timeless charm.
What would you recommend off the menu this Spring?
Oooo tough question, that’s like asking someone to pick their favourite child! The 2 items we sell the most of are our sausage rolls and our brownies but our pies have a real following too… If I was going savoury I’d say the ham hock and cheesy leek pie is a must try, if I was going sweet it would have to be a New York Roll (only available at weekends). I’ve just changed all the flavours for Spring, my favourite is the rhubarb and white chocolate.
Wild & Ginger prides itself on sustainability. What steps have you taken to achieve this?
I don’t think sustainability is about one big decision, it’s about 100 small choices that together can make a difference. So it is always a consideration for us when sourcing ingredients or working with suppliers. A few examples of these are all of our takeaway packaging is plastic free, we have our milk, coffee and tea delivered in large reusable tubs to eliminate the single use packaging and buy local where possible, with a focus on regenerative farming. We do not sell bottled water or any drinks in plastic bottles, I am planning on reusing the glass bottles from our juices to serve milkshakes in the summer. We salvaged and restored the tables in our cafe and the chairs were all sourced second hand (from a church!). At Christmas, I baked our decorations from salt dough and we can reuse these next year. We take our responsibility to be kind to our planet seriously, so we are proud to work with suppliers including Fountain Rock Coffee and New Forest Tea who share this ethos.
What is the future of Wild & Ginger?
There are many things I would like to achieve in the future but for now I just want to enjoy living my dream. Be present and savour the everyday moments because it gives me pure joy but on a more practical note we are in the process of renovating the garden, so hopefully that will be open soon.
Website → wildandginger.com
Instagram → @wildandgingercafe
