The Chinese-founded artisanal Italian bakery has launched on Covent Garden’s Drury Lane as part of the next step in the brand’s UK expansion.
The Covent Garden menu features Nonna Bakery’s signature selection of Italian pastries and baked goods, including popular cornetti filled with pistachio cream, chocolate and seasonal custards; ricotta-filled cannoli; freshly baked focaccia, regional breads and classic Italian desserts.
The Drury Lane bakery also introduces two exclusive creations - Eton mess maritozzo, which gives the classic Roman sweet bun a distinctly British twist, filled with fresh cream, seasonal strawberries and meringue; and pane cunzatu, which celebrates one of Sicily’s much-loved sandwich.
Founded in Shanghai’s Former French Concession in 2022, Nonna Bakery operates 15 locations across China. The brand is the result of a partnership between Matteo Cicero, a Sicilian lawyer living in Shanghai, and Dr Jonathan Hazon, a GP who has served the Holborn and Covent Garden communities for more than 16 years. The pair met on the island of Salina, just off Sicily, where Hazon became a neighbour of Cicero’s family, and discovered they had a shared ambition to bring authentic Italian baking to London.
“I’ve always loved the sense of community in Holborn and Covent Garden. When I met Matteo and we started talking about bringing Nonna to London, Covent Garden was always where we imagined the bakery would be. It took patience to find the right location, but we wanted somewhere that felt welcoming, vibrant and full of character,” says Hazon.
“Seeing Nonna become part of this neighbourhood feels incredibly rewarding.”
Cicero adds: “Nonna began because I simply couldn’t find the bread I grew up eating after moving to Shanghai. What started as a way to recreate a taste of home has grown into something much more incredible and exciting, but our philosophy hasn’t changed. Every pastry, loaf and dessert is rooted in familiar and comforting Italian recipes, served with genuine hospitality.
“Bringing Nonna to London, and especially to Covent Garden, feels like an important milestone because it allows us to share that experience with one of the world’s most international audiences.”