The Italian Club Bakery opens its doors on Duke Street

Duke Street has a new resident and it smells amazing! The Italian Club Bakery is open now.

The Italian Club Bakery, which was first established seven years ago, is the passion project of husband-and-wife duo Rosaria Crolla and Maurizio Pellegrini, who were keen to bring even more of their authentic Italian culture to Merseyside.

Now based at larger premises on Duke Street, it’s the sister site of Bold Street mainstays The Italian Club and The Italian Club Fish – restaurants that have firmly established themselves among the city’s thriving culinary scene. 

The new venue offers food afficionados, lovers and novices alike an extensive selection of freshly made baked goods including focaccia, rolls, pastries and more, as well as an abundance of sweets including croissants, eclairs, choux buns and desserts. It will supply external events as part of its outside catering arm and create stunning celebration cakes – all under one roof. It’s also an ideal spot to tuck into a bowl of authentic Italian pasta paired with a glass of wine. 

The bakery has been a labour of love for The Italian Club team. Like many hospitality sites, its previous incarnation suffered the ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, remaining closed to the public while servicing the team’s restaurants as a bread and cake laboratory. Now, it’s making a comeback, much to its customers’ delight.

Owner and founder Rosaria said:

“The Italian Club Bakery was sorely missed by our customers and when the opportunity of the Duke Street site came up, we just knew this was where we wanted to make our new home. 

“We’ve made Bold Street our home away from home for almost two decades and we were keen to expand and experience a new location, that offers a different atmosphere and perspective.

“Our entire team is so grateful for all the love and support we’ve received with our restaurants and know that people have high expectations of us because of that. We hope our new bakery will exceed those expectations.”

The Italian Club team have completely transformed the venue from a run-down shell into a sophisticated space that wouldn’t be out of place on the streets of Rome or Naples.

The once derelict site was stripped back to its bones before being lovingly restored. Crumbling walls have been freshly insulated, replastered, and painted in a calming off-white shade, summoning the feel of a real Italian cafe. 

On-trend oak-effect parquet flooring lends the space warmth, while the floor to ceiling windows flood the bakery with natural light. There’s open shelving to display authentic Italian goods, as well as a variety of seating for those who wish to dine in and watch the world go by. The bakery also offers an in-house catering service for those looking to add a special touch to an event.

Rosaria added: “We’re so excited and happy to finally be opening our doors and welcoming people back to the smallest of The Italian Club family in a much bigger way.”

The Italian Club Bakery can be found at 43 Duke Street, Liverpool, L1 5AP and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 8.30pm until 4.30pm. You can follow the team’s progress on Facebook HERE.

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