Suur Bakery in Foreshore
Former MasterChef contestant Francois Zietsman’s new bread bar
MasterChef season 4 winner Shawn Godfrey alongside Suur owner and MasterChef season 3 contestant Francois Zietsman at Suur bakery
If you like bread as much as I do, you need to check out Suur Bakery in Foreshore. It is the new home of Francois Zietsman, whom I first met back when he was operating out of Makers Landing. After a few years focusing on production and deliveries from the V&A Cruise Terminal with The Bread Bar, Francois has opened this dedicated space - a “lifestyle bakery brand”. The name Suur (Afrikaans for sour) is a clever wink to the sourdough at the heart of the business.
If Francois looks familiar, it’s because he placed eighth in MasterChef South Africa Season 3. But his journey with flour started long before the cameras, in his grandmother’s kitchen. Before launching his own ventures like The Rock and Toast Eatery, he honed his craft in high-end restaurants, wine estates, and even the demanding galleys of luxury yachts.
Bringing London bread culture to Cape Town
The spark for Suur specifically came from two trips to London last year. Seeing their vibrant, grab-and-go bread culture firsthand inspired Francois to bring that same energy to the Cape Town CBD. Since opening on 5 January 2026, it has already been a great success locally.
As Francois mentioned in a recent interview with Clarence Ford on CapeTalk, he had been waiting four years for a storefront that allows for that “magical interaction” where customers can actually see -and smell- the loaves being pulled out of the oven. He wanted that scent of fresh sourdough to waft into the street and draw people in, and his patience has certainly been rewarded.
About Suur Bakery
Walking in, the burgundy and orange colour scheme create a warm and inviting atmosphere. It’s a welcoming space for town-bound entrepreneurs with laptop-friendly spots.
Suur bakery is not a solo venture though. Francois and his wife, sports broadcaster Cato Louw, have partnered with Kara and Nardus Droomer. Nardus works irregular hours as an Emergency Medicine doctor, whilst Kara has some spare time alongside her physiotherapist business. She handles the "behind the scenes" work like contracts and administration. Ultimately though, it is their shared passion for bringing the artisanal craft of bread to the local community.
Like any artisan baker, Francois starts his day early at 4:00 am. The bakery doors open to the public at 6:00 am. Ask him about the sourdough fermentation process and you will soon find out that this isn’t just about following a recipe. Because Cape Town’s temperature and humidity shift daily, Francois leans on years of experience to know when exactly the dough is ready for baking. Francois describes sourdough as a delicate balance of science and intuition. It’s a morning ritual of checking temperatures and gauging the 'feel' of the dough. It takes an expert baker to be able to sense when the dough is ready to go in the oven. Making sour dough is a true labour of love; it’s a four-day process from start to finish.
Suur also makes a point of supporting small, local businesses. Their famous "Brillas" (a brioche-style roll) feature Jalapeño and cheese sausages that come from Five Star Butchery in Khayelitsha. Other local suppliers they have partnered with include BIO-WHEAT™ flour, Lowerland organic farm, and Oryx Desert Salt, Conscious Meat Merchants and coffee by Smak Coffee Co.
Shawn Godfrey enters Suur bakery in Foreshore alongside his children Aiden, Olivia and Harvey
A Saturday at Suur Bakery
On the second Saturday of March, I headed through with my wife Lianne and our kids Aiden (8), Olivia (6) and Harvey (4). I had ordered a variety of breads for my 39th birthday feast happening later that night. I wanted to have a bunch of friends over and have good food, in a casual style, and without kneading to do all the baking myself (pun intended).
While we were there we ordered cappuccinos for ourselves (R38 each) and babyccinos for the kids (R15 each). Although there were quite a few walk-ins coming through the doors, I managed to have a quick catch-up with Francois. There’s something special about buying your bread from the person who actually got up at the crack of dawn to knead it.
It’s practically impossible to visit Suur bakery and leave with only the bread you ordered. With three “hungry” kids in tow, we shared a Mini Banana Loaf (R28) -perfectly moist and kid-sized-, and a Cinnamon Bun (R25) for a mid-morning treat. At this price, it’s some of the best value for artisan quality in Cape Town. The baked goods are not overly sweet, letting the spice and the dough do the heavy lifting.
While the Foreshore spot is already humming, Francois has big plans on the horizon. Keep an eye out for upcoming delivery options, as well as sourdough workshops and special events centered around First Thursdays on Bree Street.
Community & Cinnabun Fridays
One of the coolest things about Suur is their 'Suur Thanks' tradition. They spent January honouring healthcare workers and February supporting Firefighters and VWS Volunteers. While we were there, I noticed their community board mentioned a R25 special for Cape Town tour guides-a nod to the people who keep our city moving. If you’re planning a visit, try to aim for Cinnabun Friday; it’s a local legend in the making and the perfect way to slide into the weekend.
My Suur Bread order
Driving back to the Southern suburbs, the car smelled like a wonderful mix of sour dough and rosemary. Our haul for the night’s festivities included:
Francois’ signature sourdough; we couldn’t go home without this.
Mosbolletjie bread; the nostalgic, slightly sweet South African classic.
Olive & rosemary focaccia and a plain focaccia to “mop up” all the dips and sauces I was going to make.
Now that I had the bread, I needed to start the fire. With just a few hours’ until I would need to feed a house full of people, the hustle was getting real. Have a look at the full 39th Birthday Menu and find out how I paired these Suur loaves with Biltong Truffle Butter and a Cape Malay Prawn Potjie.
Visit Suur Bakery
Location: 42 Hans Strijdom Ave, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001
Contact: hello@suur.co.za.
Hours: Monday - Friday 06:00 am - 4:00 pm | Saturday 07:00 am - 2:00 pm
Future Plans: Look out for delivery options and sourdough workshops coming soon!
About Shawn Godfrey
Photo credit: Niki M Photography
Shawn Godfrey is an entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. After the Covid-19 lockdown saw his business in financial distress, cooking was the creative outlet that helped to keep him sane. To keep track of his recipes, and encourage friends and families to join him, he starts his instagram account The Roasted Dad.
Fast-forward to late 2021 - on a whim Shawn (encouraged by his wife Lianne) enters MasterChef South Africa. It is a crazy time of life: running a 200 people business and struggling to keep it profitable, two small children with a third on the way, and about to move into a new house. But when Shawn gets selected to be one of the 20 contestants participating in the fourth season of MasterChef South Africa, he decides to go all in. Leaving his 7-month-pregnant wife to look after their then three and one-year-old children, he battles it out and comes back home five weeks later with the trophy and a million rand prize money in his pocket.
It all started with an Instagram account, but The Roasted Dad is so much more now. Shawn has stayed his entrepreneurial self and whilst he hosts Private Dinner Parties and Cook-with-Me Demos, does Restaurant Take-Overs, he still runs the lighting company and several other businesses.
On his blog, Shawn shares Restaurant Reviews and Accommodation Reviews, and gives an insight into the wild and wonderful life he leads together with his wife Lianne, and their three children Aiden (8), Olivia (6) and Harvey (4).
Sign up to the newsletter below to be kept up to date with events, new recipes and reviews, or contact Shawn to chat about recipe creation, restaurant takeovers and public speaking events.
