Local chef Brittanni Seymour-Welds’ culinary career is rising to the next level with the opening of her brick-and-mortar bakery, Scratch, a culmination of all things Cayman with a modern twist.
What started off as a home bakery has now turned into the pastry chef’s first retail location, set to open on 7 May at Unit 6B City Plaza on Crewe Road in George Town. As owner and executive pastry chef, Seymour-Welds is using old Caymanian recipes passed down by her grandmother, as well as others she has perfected over the years.
“There are so many different emotions. I’m so pleased. I’m so humbled. The Caymanian community has accepted Scratch and that [it’s] been so successful through over years,” Seymour-Welds told the Cayman Compass.
A hunger for the kitchen
In 2011, Seymour-Welds was named the first Dart scholar, and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island in baking and pastry arts in 2014. She was also an intern at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Camana Bay.
Two summers after graduating, while baking from home, she decided to start a side hustle, eventually landing on the name Scratch.
Reflecting on her younger days, Seymour-Welds said what started her hunger for being in the kitchen was baking with her maternal grandmother, Azalea Hydes, also known as ‘Mama’.
“Every time I would come home from school, she’d be baking something, and I’d come into the kitchen and I’d ask her what she was making. She would show me, and her most prized recipe was her lemon meringue pie. She was thoughtful enough to give me her pie pan, that is, again, like 50, 60 years old, so I actually have that. She used to make a lemon meringue pie probably about twice a week. So, that is kind of what got me going.”
A bakery with a Caymanian touch
The executive pastry chef has combined what she learned in university and in the culinary industry with Cayman’s history.
“When I first went away to university, I was learning all the American and European techniques, and when I got back, I was working. The goal was to always open a bakery. After graduating from university, being on island, getting older, I realised that Cayman and Caymanians in general do not have much representation in the culinary community in terms of food establishments,” she said.
“You can’t just go and pick up a cassava cake right now. You have to try and find these things, especially with dessert on demand. That’s what got me thinking — how do I make sure Cayman’s history plays into what we do at Scratch?”
Along with the crafted offerings such as rustic cakes, doughnuts, cruffins, scrolls, and French macarons, all from scratch and free from preservatives using locally sourced ingredients where possible, Scratch includes parts of heritage, not just on the menu but throughout the bakery.
Against the backdrop of light brown and white interior, the bakery displays intricate pieces of Caymanian artefacts, including thatch ropes, hats, photographs from the National Archives, scenic locations of times past, photographs of Seymour-Welds’s paternal great-grandmother (Geraldine Whittaker), maternal grandmother and other family members, as well as old kitchen tools such as a grater, masher, sifter and coffee pot.
“Having these things interwoven means that more people can learn about [Scratch], our culture, and that we can be reminded of where we’re coming from. It can be used as a conversation starter. I want to be able to show younger generations also,” she said.
“It all boils down to being proud of my heritage and wanting to see it represented.”
A rooted heritage
Seymour-Welds said it was important to make her beloved home a part of her bakery.
“It was important to include everything I could possibly find. As a whole, I believe Cayman doesn’t do a very good job of holding onto its cultural artefacts,” she said.
The West Bay native said what she enjoys most about baking is “seeing everything come together. From nothing, go to something. The process itself, yes, it brings me joy, but it’s more so when you get the end. It gives me a calming feeling.”
Seymour-Welds said she’s looking forward to seeing everybody’s faces, enjoying the space and what Cayman has to offer. Scratch, albeit small, is a place for community and where people can come together and share memories.
Scratch will be open Wednesday to Friday, 6am to 3pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 7am to 3pm.
When looking back at the journey, Seymour-Welds said it’s all surreal.
“I’m proud of myself. I’m humbled. Being an entrepreneur can be a very lonely road and sometimes you just have to pat yourself on your back,” she said.
“It took a very long time for me to learn that, but I think that’s what it is. I did not know I had it in me to get this far. I think when you own a business, you’re just getting through every day. So, seeing that we’re here … young Brittanni would been proud.”