In the first of a new series, Sarah Dallas gets up close and personal with some of Church Street's movers and shakers.

Alex Ross arrived in London from Auckland, New Zealand, 20 years ago and used the city as a base for backpacking. After working in several London kitchens - including a stint as dessert chef at Granita and a period running a restaurant above the present-day Red Lion (Stoke Tup as was) pub - he opened the Spence bakery and café with his business partner, Katherine Lockwood. For the past three years, the Spence's orange façade has become a distinctive landmark on Stoke Newington Church Street. And the story doesn't end there. Alex and Katherine will be opening a second branch of the Spence in a nearby premises on Church Street this summer.

What attracted you to Stoke Newington?
This is a really nice place to have a café. It has a villagey feel and a sense of community. I also like its raffish spirit, and the fact that historically it's been known as a spot for rebels, like Daniel Defoe.

Who designed the look and feel of the Spence?
Katherine and I did. First we painted the back wall blue and the other walls magnolia. It looked yuck - like a nursery gone wrong. So we smashed all the plaster off, and ended up with more of a rustic look. The orange exterior was a mistake; I wanted something more autumnal. But we decided to leave it. It's bold and cheerful, and lets people know we're here.

Celebrity chef moments?
I was baking desserts at Granita in Islington on the night Gordon Brown and Tony Blair had their famous dinner. The next day there were photographers everywhere.

What is the Spence's best-selling item?
Definitely the bread. The plain white loaf is our top seller, but my personal favourite is the walnut and raisin. You can have it with cheese - it's a great all-rounder.

How many loaves do you bake a week?
About 1,300.

Favourite spots in the neighbourhood?
Abney Park Cemetery in winter is like something out of Alice in Wonderland. When there's been a snowfall, it's the most wonderfully spooky place. I cycle down there for a break. It's so peaceful.

Pet hates?
Hackney Council. The only thing it is efficient at is collecting business rents and employing lots of parking wardens to swarm over the borough.

If you could change Church Street in one way, what would it be?
There are too many buses. In an ideal world, everything we would want in life would be on Church Street, so we wouldn't need transport.

What other shops and businesses would you like to see here?
A good, independent butcher would be nice. We get our ham cooked fresh from Canonbury Butchers, but it would be better to have one closer by.

Where do you go to escape the shop?
The Rose & Crown is a cosy pub. If I'm looking for a decent pint of Guinness, I go to Ryan's Bar or the Auld Shillelagh.

Best cappuccino on Church Street?
After the Spence, I like the coffee at the Fox Reformed.

Where would we find you on a Friday night after shutting up shop?
Tucked up in bed, like a school kid. I have to be back at the shop by 3.30am on Saturday to start baking. It's the same routine on Saturday night. Seriously, my social life is shot to pieces.

What's on your book shelf?
I recently re-read Catch 22 - it's so relevant to today, and so dark and humorous. I've also just finished Master and Margarita, which is a lovely way to escape from the hardships of baking.

Hopes and dreams for the future?
The Spence is expanding. We can't bake enough bread in this property as the ovens are too small. We bought Newington Studios on Church Street. It will be a café and a proper bakery, with big ovens. We're going to turn this place into a larger café, without the ovens. And I want to learn to scuba dive. I feel it could be like sky-diving: weightless and surreal, with a wonderfully disconnected feeling.

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