DIRECTORS at a newly refurbished £3.1 million arts and heritage venue say they are “delighted” to be teaming up with one of Hampshire’s most popular cafe providers.

Southampton-based Hoxton Bakehouse will run the cafe at God’s House Tower, with the sourdough specialists promising to bring their “damn good, no nonsense bread” to the new venue.

Hoxton owners Florence Hellier and Darren Bland - who already supply more than 60 hotels and restaurants including Angela Hartnett’s Lime Wood, Chewton Glen, The Pig, Four Seasons and River Cottage - say it took them a while to find the right Southampton outlet for their range of breads, bakes and cakes, but that the combination of fascinating history and forward-thinking vision at GHT were just the right ingredients for the new outlet.

Now GHT menus are in development, with inspiration taken from the history of the 700-year-old ancient monument itself. It’s a little-known fact that the 15th century ‘Mill Tower’ - as it was known then - provided power to make flour for the town’s bread supply.

GHT historian Dr Cheryl Butler said: “Bread was a staple of the medieval diet and was subject to strict regulations as to its size and weight.

“Bakers had to be authorized and be able to make bread three times a week to ensure food supplies, serving some 180-200 customers each baking day.

“They would bring their grain to the town mill to be ground so it could be made up into nine different types of bread.

“In 1517 the town bakers became ‘incorporated’ into a bakers guild and 12 bakers signed the document, the first unusually being a woman, Alice Brown. A baker needed resources, including a furnace, wood, servants, salt, yeast, candles, sandbags, a dog and cat.

“The miller would received 4d in payment for grinding individual bakers grain.”

Hoxton Bakehouse will be serving their signature sourdough bread, croissants and Viennoiserie, Nordic buns and sandwiches, as well as speciality coffees roasted at Winchester-based River Coffee Roasters.

The official opening date for GHT is yet to be announced but parts of the building will be open on September 21, 22 and 28 for Heritage Open Days and Music in the City respectively.