On a roll: Seven Dials to welcome Danish bakery Ole & Steen

Shaftesbury today announces the signing of the newest bakery from Ole & Steen who have selected Seven Dials in the heart of London’s West End to expand their UK portfolio. 

Signing for an expansive two-floor, 2,411 sq ft corner site at 39-43 Neal Street, Ole & Steen Seven Dials will join over 100 global locations, including Ole & Steen Central Cross, which has operated successfully as part of Shaftesbury’s portfolio since 2018.  Set to launch in April, the new 47 cover all-day dining restaurant, spread over two floors, has been designed by Ole & Steen’s own Danish design team with the assistance of SEA Design Group in the UK. The new bakery will serve an array of freshly baked Danish sourdough and rye breads and pastries, including Ole & Steen’s now legendary Cinnamon Social Slice in addition to soups, open rye-bread sandwiches and focaccia sandwiches for lunches or after work. 

The new Seven Dials bakery, their largest site in London, will be Ole & Steen’s 17th in the capital and 18th overall having made their UK debut in December 2016.  This latest opening is part of the operators’ ambitious 2022 expansion plans as it gears up for several new site openings throughout the year. 

Perfectly positioned to serve both West-End theatre patrons and the increasing post-pandemic footfall as office workers return, the signing of Ole & Steen coincides with Shaftesbury’s wider investment in Neal Street, and the repositioning of the vicinity to target an evolving visitor market. This includes the creation of a prime experiential flagship retail space located adjacent to the new Ole & Steen, in addition to ‘Neal Street Lofts’ (39-45 Neal Street), part of the Assemble Seven Dials office concept, providing boutique yet high-spec office space for occupants come April. 

Julia Wilkinson, Restaurant Director at Shaftesbury, commented: “The signing of Ole & Steen highlights our commitment to maintaining diversity and balance across our destination, with the global, independent operator fitting in perfectly with our existing tenants, and appealing to our visitors and office community. Forging strong relationships with brands and supporting them as they grow is an important part of what we do and is particularly evident via the expansion of Ole & Steen within Shaftesbury’s portfolio.” 

Lee Nixon, Managing Director of Ole & Steen, added: “Neal Street and Seven Dials are iconic London destinations in the heart of the West End so it was a natural development for Ole & Steen to open our latest bakery there.   We’re seeing more and more customers returning to our Central London stores after the pandemic so it is clearly the right time to welcome in the Seven Dials community as well as visitors to the local area. ”  

Ole & Steen will join Seven Dials’ eclectic dining offering, including a debut London flagship restaurant from Aspirational Brands who have recently signed on upper St Martin’s Lane, as well as the new WatchHouse cafe, Chai Guys, From The Ashes BBQ, and Longboys, all of which have recently opened new locations across the Seven Dials neighbourhood. 

Hanover Green Retail, Cushman & Wakefield and Nash Bond represented Seven Dials. RAB Retail acted on behalf of Ole & Steen.