Head baker and co-founder of bkry Kameel Rasyid reflects on quality and community spiritLast updated: May 24, 2026 | 10:004 MIN READKameel Rasyid and the bkry team.bkry bills itself as an "experimental multidisciplinary bakespace" rather than simply a bakery. Hyperfocused on ingredients and the artform of baking, the Dubai-born brand has become a must-visit destination since opening in Alserkal Avenue in June 2024.Gulf News spoke to head baker and co-founder of bkry, Kameel Rasyid, about community support, the lengths he will go to find the best ingredients and memorable visits from the UAE leadership.Kameel grew up in a family of bakers. He brought his skillset to Dubai, but the city is where he learned a lot and developed his skills."Dubai is a melting pot of different cultures and experiences that push everyone to learn to be better in their field," he says. Kameel credits Dubai for "shaping him a lot" and "for giving him the opportunity to be what he is today, and for bkry to exist today."Being a Dubai-born brand is something special for Kameel.It feels special, and an honour to be a Dubai-born brand, especially because as we know Dubai has the spirit of excellence, so it pushes every one of us to do our level best.KameelAfter spending 16 years in the UAE, Kameel says, "Dubai feels like home to me."Sourcing quality ingredients was always part of the bkry ethos from the very beginning. "When we started bkry, we knew that we needed to source all the best ingredients that we can because our intention is to make sure the breads and the pastries are flavourful. So, during the beginning time when we wanted to open, we tried to source our grains in Europe."He continues, "I tried to source it in Denmark myself, by trying to drive and go to one farm. I tried to get kilos of grains, but it was very unfortunate that the good quality grains are being sold within the country itself, but we just never stopped trying to find or source the best ingredients."That led them to wildfarming and local grains. "Now we have Saba Sanabel Farm. We are using Saba Sanabel Farm grains, which is from Sharjah. They are whole grains that we mill ourselves in the store to make our breads and pastries, and that's actually what makes our bread tastier and our pastries tastier and flavourful. And it shows in the flavour. Kameel explains, "So, the whole thing about bkry is about the ingredients, and then how we push the ingredients into our products to create a product with more, better flavour. So me, my team and my partner are working together to achieve this."Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.Even being a viral spot, the last few months were "quite challenging", with bkry managing evolving circumstances alongside pop-ups and collaborations, including a collab with Level Shoes. The focus was on manpower and managing operations, Kameel says, "We believe that everything will go back better."Kameel credits the restaurant and café community for support during uncertain times. He explains how he and friends who are restaurant owners and café owners shared ideas on how to tackle operational issues to help each other."The community is very supportive, mainly the restaurateurs and business owners. They just keep on lifting each other up," he explains. "They keep on sharing their photos or their videos on one of our friend's cafés or restaurants, and as well the community here in Dubai, they keep on coming back to support us."He continues, "I cannot say thanks enough for this. So, thank you very much for the community here in Dubai."When it comes to supporting local brands, he has a few favourites. "The one that I fell in love with at first sight was Kinoya. I was there during their opening time. It was so lovely. I love the food. I love the ramen so much."He is also a fan of REIF Japanese Kushiyaki and their ramen. "I just cannot stop eating the ramen. I love it so much."Birch Bakery is another local favourite for unique products on its menu. Mirzam Chocolate is another local pick for "not just having good chocolate, but they always have a story behind their product." One standout moment in bkry's history is when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited. “He came when we were only open for four months, so we were completely unaware of his visit," Kameel reflects. "At the time, we were in shock, so we tried to serve him as good as we could. I'm proud of that, and the whole team as well, I'm proud of bkry."From memorable moments to more challenging times, community remains core. "United in Strength" means to him that "we move as one even in the very difficult times."Kameel adds, "Strength itself will be tested only in the hard times. So, us as the community, we are united during this time with our strength." Get Updates on Topics You ChooseUp Next