The bakery in Gérgal, owned by Sergio Cuadrado, has earned a special reputation for its late-night hours on Fridays. What began as a custom among young people returning from parties and looking for a sweet treat before heading home, has transformed into an unmissable event for families and tourists visiting the Almerian municipality, located at the foot of the Sierra de Los Filabres.
“"Now, they come with their children at night from around ten o'clock, which is more or less when we start bringing out the pastries. Before going to bed, they come for their buns."
The aroma emanating from the bakery at those late hours and the opportunity to enjoy products like palmeras, chocolate croissants, or freshly baked and still warm croissants, have captivated a loyal clientele. This tradition not only attracts residents of Gérgal but also those staying in rural houses in the area and people from nearby towns.
The baking process in the wood-fired oven, which is over 55 years old and one of the few remaining, extends throughout the night. Sergio Cuadrado explains that on Fridays, the production of bread and pastries doubles, meaning work starts around ten at night and sometimes finishes at ten in the morning on Saturday. On other days, baking begins around four in the morning.
The fame of Sergio's products, the only baker in the municipality, has made his establishment a benchmark in the region. Additionally, they have a sales point in the capital of Almería, in the San Luis neighborhood, on Javier Verdejo street. Their pork rind cakes and raisin and walnut cakes are particularly popular, and many customers buy bread for the entire week. The Cuadrado family's baking tradition dates back to Sergio's father, who was a baker in Olula de Castro and then in Gérgal, and his brother also owns an artisan bakery in Almería capital, LaPelina Panadería Artesana, located on Murcia street.
