WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR MILK RUN COME FROM? We'd been considering Milk's next step for a while. We knew we'd never quite be able to recreate the iconic vibe we've got going on at our South London staple brunch spot. We wanted to head in a different direction, try something new, and explore a whole new adventure into breakfast offerings.

EVERY WEEKEND, THERE'S A QUEUE OUT THE DOOR. WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE COMING BACK? We focus massively on quality, and want each product we're putting out to feel like a gift, each flavour thought out, each texture considered. We think that might be the reason people keep coming back - for under a tenner you can bag something made with so much care, time and high quality ingredients. 

WHY TOOTING BEC? Of course, we didn't want to stray too far from our big sis Milk, but we also recognised that North London seemed to be hogging the premium bakery scene, so we saw a bit of a gap in the market when it comes to top class viennoiserie down our end, in the South West. 

A SWEET, A SAVOURY AND A COFFEE. WHAT'S THE ORDER? Sweet wise, we're always going for a classic pain au choc. The chocolate we use here is ridiculously good, with tasting notes of cherry, plum and honey - I'd describe the flavour profile as almost boozy. On the savoury end, we have toasties and pastries that we switch up seasonally. Right now, I'm going for our smoked turkey, creamy cheddar mornay and red onion chutney galette - it's ridiculous. Coffee order has gotta be an oat flat white. We switch up our coffees weekly, sampling beans from different roasteries such as Assembly, The Barn, Plot and Scenery, so I'm definitely partial to a long black when tasting those different flavour profiles, but I'll always go back to the faithful oat flat white.

WE'VE DONE THE ROUNDS AND WE THINK YOUR PECAN COFFEE PAIN AU CHOCOLAT IS THE BEST PASTRY IN LONDON (BOLSHY STATEMENT, WE KNOW). FOR THOSE SLEEPING ON IT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS? People are massively into this one! It's a favourite amongst the Saturday run clubs for sure. It's  a twice baked pain au choc with a coffee and pecan praline and an almond paste, dipped in coffee syrup. It's intense, rich, and a crazy sugar rush - once you've had one you'll be obsessed with them.

IF YOU'RE OUT AND ABOUT IN LONDON - OR SOMEWHERE NEW - WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A GOOD BAKERY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING OUT FOR? For me, it's when you can see that thought has been put into the whole picture - seasonality, using local and high quality ingredients is an obvious one, but also when the whole experience feels special and specific to that bakery - interiors, packaging, branding. Maybe as the Brand Manager here, I'm biased, but for me, that's what makes a place stand out. 

TELL US ABOUT THE CLOSE AT SELLOUT LOGIC? Making our pastries and bread is not a speedy process - we're talking almost 2 days from start to finish for our sourdough loaves. We bake everything fresh in the morning, and once it's all on the counter, that's it for the day. We're a small bakery, and our bakers start in the early hours of the morning, so it isn't possible to mass produce on a scale in which we could be baking all throughout the day. Closing at sellout helps us focus on quality and variety rather than quantity. 

WHY IS SUSTAINABILITY AND HIGH QUALITY SO IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO SOURCING INGREDIENTS FOR MILK RUN? These things have always been important to us at Milk, and we definitely wanted to carry it over into what we do at Milk Run. The crux of it is, fresh produce sourced from local and sustainable sources just tastes better! And we're here to create the most delicious products we possibly can.

THE COUNTER AT MILK RUN IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD. WHAT INSPIRES THE MENU? Nostalgia is a big part of our ethos across both sites. We love when our chefs and bakers are inspired by childhood memories, and techniques they may have learnt working in previous roles in their bakes and recipes. We think it really taps into the nostalgia that we all crave in food (queue scene in Ratatouille where the critic has a flashback). This goal combined with the crazy amazing skills of our bakers and chefs, often with Michelin experience, makes for a pretty good combo.