London-based chain Santa Nata is expected to open a Portuguese custard tart bakery in Cornmarket in Oxford today.
Staff at the new unit will make traditional pastel de nata pastries, with coffee served alongside.
Managers at the chain said staff were hoping to be open for business by 10am.
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It’s a boost for Cornmarket, which has suffered a number of big chains leaving in recent years for the Westgate Centre.
The company has a branch in Covent Garden.
It’s website says: “Our ethos is simple - we only serve authentic and traditional Pastel de Nata throughout the day, every day, handmade by our artisan pastry chefs using the finest quality ingredients.
“Secondly Santa Nata is named after the home of the original Pastel de Nata from the parish of Santa Maria de Belém in Lisbon, Portugal.
“We want to celebrate the tradition of Portuguese baking, bringing Pastel de Nata to life by showcasing the theatre of the chefs at work.
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“Finally no matter what time you stop in, there will always be a fresh batch to eat in or take away - just listen for the bell.”
The arrival is good news for the sweet-toothed, and follows the recent opening of Crosstown Oxford doughnut shop in Ship Street.
If that’s not enough, you could always try Ben’s Cookies in the Covered Market or Wicked Chocolate and iScream gelateria.
Santa Nata said its opening hours would be as follows - weekdays from 8am until 8pm, on Saturdays from 9am until 8pm, and Sundays from 10am until 6pm, although these hours could be subject to slight changes.
According to Santa Nata, the origin of Pastel de Nata dates back to before the 18th century, where they were created by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in the parish of Santa Maria de Belém in Lisbon.
At that time, convents and monasteries used large quantities of egg-whites for starching clothes.
The chain says it was quite common for monasteries and convents to use the leftover egg yolks, to make cakes and pastries, resulting in the proliferation of sweet pastry recipes throughout the country.
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In the aftermath of the Liberal Revolution of 1820, following the dissolution of religious orders and in the face of the impending closure of many convents and monasteries, the monks started selling pastéis de nata at a nearby sugar refinery to bring in revenue.
In 1834, the monastery was closed and the recipe sold to the sugar refinery.
Today the monastery is a major tourist hotspot and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Portugal is famed the world over for the Pastel de Nata – crisp, flaky layers of pastry with a creamy egg-custard filling and a dusting of cinnamon.
In 2009 The Guardian listed Pastéis de Nata as one of the 50 “best things to eat” in the world.
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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
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