Rosevelvet Bakery – Inspired by New York cake and breakfast scene
Following on from an unplanned four month break, I finally returned to our precious island at the end of March. I could not wait to catch up with everything that was new in Palma´s world of coffees, cakes, brunches and other fun places! Walking around Santa Catalina, a black and white sign saying: “Pandemic is temporary, bread & butter are forever” caught my attention. How true is that!? On closer inspection I realised that the said sign belonged to the latest opening by Rosevelvet Bakery – a place I have been to many times, but somehow have not written about yet.
I reached out to Rosa, the charming and energetic Mallorquin owner, via a mutual friend and she invited me to Rosevelvet one cold April morning. I have lived in Mallorca for six years and it has never been this cold in April! Anyway… Rosa and I met at her workshop just off La Rambla and walked over to the first of her cafes for a coffee and a chat. The cortado was perfectly strong, not too milky, and I was already impressed. Back at the workshop I spotted a pastry that I have not seen anywhere else so far. It was essentially a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, except it wasn’t spread on bread; rather it came in a form of a Danish pasty. It was new, exciting and delicious! I will definitely come back for another one or three…
When we came in at 9am, barely a few tables were occupied. However, within half an hour the place was full and there was a queue of people outside waiting for their plate of Rosevelevet goodness!
Rosa tells me that she has been making cakes for years, first for friends and family, then selling to people who have heard about her through a word of mouth. All this was initially done from home, while Rosa was still juggling her day job at a family enterprise.
Then, about ten years ago, Rosa and her husband went to New York for holidays. They were instantly blown away by the breakfast and brunch scene over there! Nothing like that existed in Mallorca at the time. So, when they returned from this life altering trip, they started thinking about opening Rosa´s own place. To disbelief of friends and family, they renovated this run down local in an unpopular neighbourhood (at the time). Initially, Rosa was making 1-2 types of cakes each day, and people began noticing her schedule: a carrot cake on Mondays, a banoffee pie on Tuesdays and so on… Following client demand, she expanded her offer to toasts, juices and more. Her little sister joined the business, than another girl and – little by little – Rosevelvet grew into a popular breakfast and cake place it is today. When Rosa got pregnant, her husband, a former banker, offered a hand. He ended up staying till this date, retraining as a barrista in the process.
Six years after opening that first café, Rosa and her husband opened another place at the Museum Miró. It was a great success for a couple of years, until the pandemic shut them down, just like everything else around them. They were suddenly left with all the equipment and nowhere to go. A little while later this downturn created a new opportunity and so they opened their Santa Catalina branch, followed by the workshop. Rosa is quite proud – and rightly so – of the fact that they are making everything themselves, all the bread, pastries and cakes. Not only that, but they are now able to offer their baked goods to other cafeterias and even some hotels.
Aside from the famous red velvet cake, which inspired the bakery´s name, I also love Rosa´s cheesecakes. She makes both New York style and the regular, fruit topped cheesecakes and they are super creamy and delicious. In terms of savoury stuff, Rosevelvet´s pastrami sandwich is something everyone has to try at least once! In fact, the whole breakfast menu is pretty great!
In the space of just ten years, Rosa has come very far from the initial cake making for friends´ birthdays in her home kitchen. When I ask her about any future plans, Rosa tells me that she would like to open a small place, a tiny corner somewhere where she would offer just a few of her best selling pastries and cakes, while people would be queuing around the block – just as she saw during that fateful trip to New York all those years ago! So, watch this space…
Till next month…
Yours sweetly,
Mia xxx
Mia Naprta
E-mail: mia.naprta@gmail.com
Instagram: @mianaprta
Photos: Rosevelvet´s personal archive & Mia Naprta
Rosevelvet Brunch & Coffee
C/ Mision 15, Palma
Instagram: @rosevelvetbrunchncoffee
Open: M-F 8.30-16, S-S 9-14
Rosevelvet Bakery
C/ de Can Maçanet 1, Palma
Instagram: @rosevelvetbakery
Open: M-F 9-16, S-S 9-15
Rosevelvet x Santa Cata
C/ Dameto 8, Palma
Instagram: @rosevelvetsantacata
Open: M-F 9-16, S-S 9-15
Web: http://rosevelvet.es/
Tel: +34 871 706 946
Delivery to yachts available on request.
