A: I started at 15 years old as an apprentice chef at a two Michelin star restaurant in France. I was extremely passionate and loved it all, but 20 years ago it was a very different environment in restaurants, and it broke me.
It was insane, like being in a bubble. There’s so much tension, like being a slave, but nobody talked about it because we were scared.
Looking back, I don’t regret any of it, as it builds your resilience and makes you so much stronger. I also learned how to do everything in the traditional way, and that’s in me. It’s in my DNA. I’ve got a passion for doing things the right way.
But at the same time, I don’t wish it for anyone, and I’m so glad it doesn’t happen in kitchens today.

Q: What kept you going?

A: I love to create things with my hands and know all the specifics… why, how, fixing mistakes, understanding why things f*ck up. Creating. There’s always something to learn.
But it’s a hard industry because you have to put all of your soul into it. And you’re always adapting. Always updating.
You have to do this job for the right reasons. You can’t do it to make lots of money or build an empire. It just won’t work. It has all come from your passion for food. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to speak to your customer with passion.
I see my job as creating happiness. We can give people a good moment in their day. That’s why I like it.

Q: How did you make the transition from old-school kitchens?

A: I’m old fashioned and I know it. Sometimes I’m a bit annoying because I want things to be done certain ways, and people don’t understand the old ways anymore.
So the challenge is to surround yourself with the right people. They need to be curious with a great attitude. You can see it in how they communicate, talk to peers and take criticism.

Q: Finding staff is a huge problem. How do you find the right people?

A: It’s like being a magnet. If you do a good product and you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you attract both customers and employees. Passionate people won’t come to a business if you’re not passionate about it.
I approached AP Bakery because I could see they had a passion behind the product. They work directly with farmers and mill their own grain and have a passion for doing things better. That’s what attracted me.
If you love what you’re doing, you’ll attract people who love what they’re doing. Then the sky’s the limit.

Q: You’ve worked in so many cities around the world. Is Sydney now your home?

A: Yes. I’m now an Australian citizen. My wife Nicole is Australian. Our two kids are Australian. It’s a great place to live, and AP has three busy locations and a market, so there’s plenty to do.

The post “My job is creating happiness” appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

In an interview with food writer Richard Cornish, Christopher talks about life after the world-famous Strawberry Watermelon Cake, and explains how his new focus is building a great team, celebrating local food, and staying off the ‘Gram. 

Q: What was it like being a social media phenomenon? 

A: It was an amazing achievement as a chef. The cake started as a challenge for a friend who was having a wedding. I had this vision for a cake with a red stripe at a time when wedding cakes were two-tiered and covered in royal icing. It became world famous! But I don’t go on Instagram anymore. I no longer want to be influenced by other people’s (baking) ideas. Also, I don’t think social media, generally, is good for the psyche. 

Q: What makes you happy? 

A: I have a small shop. Nothing gives me more pleasure than putting together a great team who love to bake. I also have people who love to make ice cream, and people who are chocolatiers. It is a little shop, and I still find it rewarding to fill a display with beautiful food. 

Q: What is firing you up these days?  

A: Presently I am cooking from the heart, food that means the most to me. Food I love to eat. I loved creating fun food a few years back, but now I am working on the edge of where my customers will allow and financial restraints. Other than that, there are no boundaries. 

Q: You’re using a lot of native bush foods at Hearthe. 

A: I love our native bush ingredients. This land has so many foods that are delicious as well as ancient. Desert lime, muntries, Geraldton Wax. Using them has raised my awareness of the foods growing naturally around where I live, such as lilly pilly, paperbark and warrigal greens. I have also learned how important it is to buy native ingredients from indigenous-owned businesses. 

Q: And how are you using them?  

A: We are using desert limes from Western Australia, so plump and juicy. They go into a cheesecake. The delicate little pearls go between the crumb base and the cheese filling. We top it with a jelly made with Geraldton wax which has a lovely citric tang. We are using the muntrie, which we are buying from Nathan Lovett. I am making a custard tart with a pastry made with charcoal – it gives it the appearance of charcoal. The tart is filled with a classic crème pâtissier, and the muntrie are used on top.

Q: Anything savoury? 

A: I am also making a bush tomato relish that goes on our pies. I am presenting a session at Fine Food about the process of getting a product into jars for retail sale. So many things to think about from Best Before Date to Nutritional Panels.  

Christopher will share his expertise and one of his baked creations at Fine Food Australia’s newest deep dive into the business of hospitality – the Concept to Consumer Masterclass. Book early to hear from Australia’s top food development experts on the science and secrets to creating exceptional food products in a two-hour masterclass from 8am on September 13 at Fine Food Australia’s The Source Kitchen,  sponsored by Investment NSW and presented by Straight to the Source.’

For a taste of Christopher’s sweet and savoury treats, Hearthe Artisan Cake Shop & Cafe opens from 6am-3pm Monday to Saturday, and from 7am until sold out on Sundays. Find it at 16 Douglas St in Stanmore.

The post The chef behind the world’s most Instagrammed cake explains why he no longer scrolls the ‘Gram. appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

Whittlesea Bakehouse in Whittlesea, Victoria took out the best Plain Meat Pie accolade, whilst The Little Red Grape Bakery in Sevenhill, South Australia went home with best Plain Sausage Roll. 

“The calibre of pies and sausage rolls in this year’s competition has lifted the standard to a new level,” said competition organiser Danielle Lindsay from the Aussie Pie Council. “We are proud to continue elevating an Aussie icon and providing genuine feedback on more than 1,500 pies and sausage rolls from around the country. Well done to all who have put their heart and soul into their entries, we look forward to many more great pie comps in the years to come.” 

As the major title holder, Whittlesea Bakehouse receives over $20,000 worth of prizes for their business. 

Plain Pie Winner – Adrian, Whittlesea

Full winners list below: 

Plain Meat Pie 
WINNER: Whittlesea Bakehouse (Whittlesea, Victoria)
Plain Mince Pie 

Gourmet Pie 
WINNER: Miss Amelia Gourmet (Wadonga, Vic)
Chinese BBQ Pork Belly Pie 

WINNER Plain Sausage Roll
WINNER: The Little Red, Grape Bakery (Sevenhill, SA)
Plain Beef Sausage Roll 

Gourmet Sausage Roll 
WINNER: Gippsland Gourmet Pies (Nambrok, Vic)
Pork with Caramelised Apple 

Tom Lindsay Pepper Steak Pie Award 
WINNER: Country Cob Bakery  (Springvale, Vic)
Pepper Beef Pie 

Apprentice Category (Pork Pie) 
WINNER: Banana Boogie Bakery (Belair, SA)
Smokey BBQ Pulled Pork Pie 

Winner of the Apprentice Category (Pork Pie) – Banana Boogie Bakery

Shepherd’s / Potato Top Pie 
WINNER: Buddy Bakery Melton (Melton, Vic)
Steak Mushroom and Potato Pie 

Slow Cooked BBQ Pie 
WINNER: Mount Barker Country Baker (Mount Barker, WA)
Jalapeno Sauce & Smokey Pork Pie

Game Pie 
WINNER: Gisborne Bakery and Café (Gisborne, Vic)
Rabbit Mushroom and Thyme Pie

Poultry Pie 
WINNER: Parkview Bakery (Maryborough, Vic)
Moroccon Chicken Pie 

Red Meat Pie 
WINNER: Rolling Pin Pies and Cakes (Ocean Grove, Vic)
Country Lamb Rosemary Pie 

Vegetarian / Vegan Pie 
WINNER: Jacks Bakery (Mandurah, WA)
Veggie Paella Pie 

Pork Pie 
WINNER: Miss Amelie Gourmet (Wodonga, Vic)
Chinese BBQ Pork Belly Pie 

Traditional Pork Pie 
WINNER: 3 J’s Butchers (Traralgon East, Vic)
Traditional English 

Seafood Pie 
WINNER: Rolling Pin Pies and Cakes (Ocean Grove, Vic)
Surf n Turf Pie 

Apple Pie 
WINNER: Miami Bakehouse (Greenfields, WA)
Country Apple & Raspberry Pie 

Brekkie Pie 
WINNER: Brighton’s Best Bakehouse (Brighton, TAS)
Brekkie Farmhouse Pie

Gluten Free Pie
WINNER: Jojo’s Gluten Free Goodies (Kernot, Vic)
Thai Chicken Curry 

Gluten Free Sausage Roll 
WINNER: Jojo’s Gluten Free Goodies (Kernot, VIC)
Roast Veggie Roll 

All winners for 2022 Official Aussie Pie Competition

About The Official Great Aussie Pie Competition: 

The Official Great Aussie Pie Competition was established in 1989 and has been held yearly since, with the aim of raising the quality standards of pies and sausage rolls throughout Australia. It is facilitated by the Aussie Pie Council, which is a consortium of industry-leading businesses; Complete Display Equipment, Simple Simon (Lindsay Pie Making Equipment), and the National Baking Industry Association (NBIA). Full details of the competition can be found at their website. 

The post The 33rd Official Great Aussie Pie Competition has crowned the best pies in Australia. appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

But in 20 years of cooking with some of Australia’s best restaurants, he most loved making terrines, pates, and sausages. 

So Mick turned his passion for smallgoods into an award-winning charcuterie business that makes 22 different types of Italian and French smallgoods. 

Today, Mick employs 10 people at his Ballarat smallgoods studio, supplying retail and food service under the Salt Kitchen and Mr. Cannubi brands. 

“I was always working in European-based kitchens,” says Mick. “I never did Middle Eastern or Asian. I kept returning to how the Europeans used salt, skin, smoke, and spices to preserve and transform raw meat into something even more delicious than the sum of its parts.” 

Mick worked under chef Guy Grossi when the family first took over Melbourne’s iconic Florentino restaurant. There he met Frank Camorra (Movida) and Brigitte Hafner (Tedesca Osteria), who were his colleagues. 

“Guy Grossi and Roddy (Head chef and Guy’s brother-in-law Chris Rodriguez) taught me so much about the importance of tradition, precision, and patience when making charcuterie and smallgoods,” says Mick, who later worked at Movida before heading to Europe to follow his passion. 

In 2012, Mick financed an extensive working trip to study under master charcutiers in France.  

“I wanted to experience working in a French charcuterie to upskill and better understand the whole process.,” he said. 

“I spent time in Gascony and the Basque country gaining knowledge, learning new techniques, and being inspired by people that have made charcuterie their entire lives. 

“I was now ready to start Salt Kitchen Charcuterie.” 

Mick started product testing in 2014 in his hometown of Ballarat, where excellent local produce has driven his success. Salt Kitchen Charcuterie started trading in 2015 and Mick hasn’t looked back. 

He has strong relationships with local meat growers, particularly Western Plains Pork in Mount Mercer and Sher Wagyu in Ballan. 

“Like all businesses, we need more staff,” says Mick. “But the hardest thing has been keeping up with regulations. Being in this business is 10 times harder than being in food service.” 

Last week, Mick collected a swag of gold medals at the Australian Meat Industry Council’s inaugural Charcuterie Excellence Awards, including the judges’ Best in Category for his Fiocco, an Italian style dry aged ham. 

“When you do what you love for a living, I think you’re doing well.” 

The post From Chef to Charcutier appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

“I was raised here in Melbourne in an Orthodox family, but I never set out to open a Jewish bakery,” says Maaryasha, a paediatric physiotherapist who became obsessed with perfecting sourdough while on maternity leave. 

“I’ve always enjoyed feeding people wholesome food… seeing the smiles on their faces. Food is such an important part of my life. As a proud Australian Jew, I was raised with strong traditions, but I was also raised in Melbourne, so I’m merge of cultures… and my food reflects that. 

“There’s a real sense of nostalgia in Jewish food, and Zelda lets me share these some of these stories with the wider community.” 

And Melburnians can’t get enough of Maaryasha’s handmade loaves and pastries. 

When she started baking for family and friends in her makeshift garage kitchen, news travelled fast. Melbourne’s Jewish community had its first kosher sourdough baker. 

In-the-know locals pre-ordered their bread and lined up at Maaryasha’s garage door. Hundreds joined her regular sourdough masterclasses in the garage, learning how to care for a starter and bake at home. 

As the underground kosher sourdough movement grew, business started encroaching on the family home, where Maaryasha lives with her husband Shaya Rubinstein and their three sons, aged 12, 9 and 6. 

“It was crazy as soon as I opened in the garage,” Maaryasha recalls. 

“We’d sell out really fast, all through word of mouth, and as the bakery grew, it started taking over rooms in the house. We knew something had to change.” 

Maaryasha Werdiger in Zelda BakeryMaaryasha opened Zelda Bakery on the Glen Eira Rd shopping strip in February 2021 – right in the middle of Melbourne’s pandemic lockdowns. Queues of locals snaked up the block from the first day of trade and it’s been the same since. 

“In many ways, I was lucky with the timing,” Maaryasha says. 

“Every time they announced a lockdown, people just wanted to eat pastry. This meant I was very busy working with my hands… and distracted from a lot of the bad stuff. 

“But I have to admit, sometimes it feels surreal to see people queueing and being so supportive. 

“I’m passionate about providing good food to my local community and the response has been incredible. It encourages us every day to push further and try harder.” 

Zelda opens on Wednesdays and Fridays, selling exceptional sourdough bread and a selection of sweet and savoury treats including chocolate babka, apple hand pies, olive twists, cheese danishes, halva and walnut escargots and deliciously toasty sesame rings. Less traditional treats might include choc chip walnut cookies or ANZAC biscuits. 

All of Maaryasha’s handmade loaves and pastries have the highest kosher certification, made using traditional methods and baked in a stone oven. Regular customers know to pre-order their baked goods online to avoid disappointment at the end of the queue. 

Maaryasha will share tips on baking some her favourite traditional Jewish food at Fine Food Australia’s new Artisan Bakery demonstration kitchen at Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre on 6 September. 

“The food I will be making is my version of Jewish immigrant food, which evolved as Jews left Europe during the difficult times,” Maaryasha explains. 

“I’ll be making traditional boiled bagels, which I love. I don’t have the room to make them at Zelda just yet, but I’m hoping to change that soon, as proper boiled bagels are amazing. Most of the bagels we get in Melbourne are steamed, and it’s not the same. It’s fiddly to boil them, but it’s worth the effort. 

“I’ll also be doing rugelach and knishes (pictured). It’ll be fun.” 

Register free here to watch Maaryasha share her passions at Fine Food Australia. 

The post How does a sourdough hobby in a suburban garage become a cult micro bakery attracting long queues of hungry customers to every bake? appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

Lode (pronounced Lo-deh) is co-owned by Federico Zanellato and Lorenzo Librino, the chefs behind Pyrmont’s two-hatted Italian-Japanese fine diner LuMi. 

The bakery opened to huge queues in November and has buzzed with hungry customers ever since. Popular items tend to sell out before lunch.  

So, what makes Lode pastry so special? 

First, it looks more like a boutique than a bakery. 

But Lorenzo says success comes down to quality ingredients to get the right flavours and textures. 

“Too often, people focus on the look of the pastries and forget about the flavour,” the 29-year-old chef explains. 

“Flavour is everything to us, not just in the fillings but also in the pastry. For example, most bakers just only use white flour, but we put a small percentage of spelt and rye flours in because they’re so flavourful. 

“It’s the same with the butter. We use a super high-quality Isigny butter. I often hear bakers say they can get butter for $2 cheaper per kg, but it’s no good. A croissant is 30 per cent butter. The most important thing is the butter.” 

It was a famously decadent pithivier on LuMi’s menu that launched the pie shop idea. 

Both Lorenzo and Federico wanted Lode’s pastry to at least match those produced by Melbourne’s world-famous Lune Croissanterie. They’re also united in their passion for premium ingredients. 

Lorenzo said they spent long hours on research and development before opening Lode, but the results made it worthwhile. 

“We decided to focus on the lamination process, so you’re able to see all the beautiful layers,” he says. “We started with puff pastry, but we started doing trials and realised the variety would be limited, so we moved to croissants. 

“I don’t think people understand the hours and expertise that goes into croissants. The whole process takes three days. We’ve worked so hard to perfect the details. Precision makes all the difference.”  

If you’re wondering how the magic happens at Lode, Lorenzo will demonstrate his popular pan au chocolat at Fine Food Australia’s Innovation in Patisserie stage on 6 September at 1.30pm. 

“The process would normally take three days, so I’ll be bringing some of our dough to show everyone the lamination process,” Lorenzo says. 

“It’ll be my first time at Fine Food Australia. I’m looking forward to it.” 

Register free here to see Lorenzo in action at Fine Food Australia.

The post How ‘cheffy’ can you get with a hot pie? appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

A major focus for the business in the early days of the pandemic was looking after their people, and the urgent need to survive, fostered an even stronger team culture. While every part of the business was affected, management and the broader team rallied together to make sacrifices to ensure long term gains.

“The business knew that we would eventually emerge from the crisis, so retaining and looking after our people was paramount,” said Irish. “People are our biggest asset and now as we come out of the crisis, it’s clear that when you look after your people, they look after you,” he said.

Ahead of the curve

Product innovation is normally a 6 – 18 month journey however, Priestley’s Gourmet Delights fast-tracked this process into six weeks when a convenience store opportunity was presented. “The team developed an exciting range to accompany a coffee-plus offer for a convenience business looking to take a high-quality offer to market,” said Taylor. “There was no doubt that we could develop something though it was the ‘and’ part of our team’s response that truly built the convenience range into what it is today”.

Priestley’s Gourmet Delights brought their entire team together to brainstorm ideas to gain new business success. “We analysed customer data, which revealed thousands of potential customers where we could add value to their menus and increase spend per head,” said Taylor. “Pizza restaurants were very receptive, and we had many great success stories of how we were able to add value to their businesses during this challenging time for all.” he said.

While Priestley’s Gourmet Delights will remain aligned to premium retailers, the business also gained more high-end independent grocery distribution with outlets such as Drakes, Ritches and IGA all coming on board.

More to come at Fine Food 2022

Irish said the whole business is looking forward to Fine Food 2022 in Melbourne and will show up with their new brand look and feel, discuss industry trends and innovations plus launch exciting new products. “Even though we’ve spoken to hundreds of new customers in the past two years, nothing beats face-to-face discussions,” said Taylor.

“When you’re exhibiting at Fine Food, it’s those important impromptu meetings that are so valuable. Whether it’s re-connecting with our passionate customers or forming new relationships whilst educating customers about our wonderful Australian owned and family operated brand.”

Among the new products being launched at Fine Food are individual Lemon Meringue Tarts and Premium Choc Orange Slice that not only taste amazing, but they are truly a visual delight!

Priestley’s Gourmet Delights are at the forefront of consumer and industry trends, bringing you the latest innovation and working with you to delight your customers with their premium dessert and savoury offers. With more new products being developed for Fine Food 2022 – the Priestley’s Gourmet Delights stand, should not be missed!

Connect with Priestley’s Gourmet to view a sneak peak of what will be on offer at Fine Food 2022:

LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

The post “People are our biggest asset”: Keith “Irish” Taylor from Priestley’s Gourmet Delights appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

“We’ve definitely noticed a resurgence for baked goods that have that nostalgic element,” says Josh O’Brien, co-owner of three cafes – Lorna, Nancy and Maria – in Melbourne’s south-east. “It’s that comfort people are looking for, especially in the past year. It reminds people of a simpler time.”

O’Brien believes sweet treats are an opportunity for cafes to find a point of difference and claim an advantage. “Often you go into a cafe and the cake cabinet looks a bit forgotten,” he says. “There will be one or two suppliers and everything looks the same. It can be an afterthought for a business owner: you get it, you put it in the cabinet. But we tried to set ourselves apart, and our cakes and cookies really took off.”

He advises going for a more homemade feel whether you’re baking in-house or using suppliers. “We want our cakes to look like Mum just made them,” he says. “Brownies and cakes don’t have to be cut perfectly – they can be a bit uneven.”

O’Brien’s cafes have some product crossover but there is also differentiation to make each one special. “We have a signature cookie for each cafe,” he explains, adding that tailoring the offering to the particular customers in a neighbourhood is important. “I grew up with carrot cake, but my grandmother isn’t everybody’s grandmother,” he says. “The offering has to resonate.”

Baked-in Nostalgia

Rod Shokuhi is a longtime baker and pastry chef who owns Sixtene Melbourne dining consultancy. “Any time we do something new, maybe a bi-coloured croissant, it goes well, but nothing walks out the door like a finger bun,” he says. “People are always looking for those nostalgic classics.”

He believes there are many opportunities to simultaneously cater to customer desires, satisfy a chef’s creative urges and find a profitable sweet spot. “Little tweaks are the way to go,” he says. “If it’s a carrot cake, add pineapple, quince or another seasonal fruit. With a custard tart, put nutmeg in the pastry rather than sprinkling it on top or add a sprinkle of wattleseed. Perhaps you play around with different sugars, like coconut sugar. You want to have a point of difference, but keep it within the range of what people are nostalgic about.”

He also advises talking to customers. “Do your research and have a simple conversation with your community to find out what is nostalgic for them,” he suggests. “A lot of the time business owners let pride get in the way, but your customers will tell you what they want.”

Jam Donut Winners

Nash Teelow runs Canvas House, an events business in Melbourne. She’s finding customers are so keen on nostalgic treats that they can be the clincher that secures a job. “I had a big bowl of jam donuts on a proposal for a Christmas party and that’s what got the client over the line,” she says. “It really excited them.”

She thinks people have moved beyond elaborate and complicated offerings. “If I put something on a menu and people don’t immediately understand what it is, they don’t want it,” she says. “They want simple. They want things that create memories and bring them back to childhood.”

Sometimes there are innovative ways to tap into these desires. For the 2020 Grand Final, Teelow had a brainwave of delivering jam donuts around Melbourne, allowing families watching the game in lockdown to still partake in a traditional half-time treat. “It went crazy,” she says. “Children burst out crying when the donuts arrived.” She sold $17,000 worth of donuts in $20 and $40 increments.

“It was about giving people a way to tap into the good old days with a small spend and they felt like they were part of something bigger,” Teelow adds. “It was a lovely way to put a smile on people’s faces.”

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The post Old-school Cool: The Baked Goods Back in Business appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

Kuoch did it by focusing on online ordering and delivery, turning traditional suburban retail stores into e-commerce hubs that now service the whole of Australia.

“When we started hearing about lockdowns, I made sure our website was ready because I knew people would still have birthdays and anniversaries, there would still be gifting, and that would be an opportunity for us,” he says. Pre-COVID, Goldeluck’s did around five deliveries a day. “During lockdown we did a delivery every 51 seconds,” says Kuoch. “It transformed our business.”

Kuoch engaged a public relations agency and started advertising to promote the new delivery arm. “That was our biggest gamble,” he says. “We tripled social media advertising and invested in influencer marketing, picking foodie influencers, especially those interested in desserts.” They also targeted radio stations, giving them donuts and other sweet treats and running on-air giveaways.

Initially, Goldeluck’s repurposed staff members to do delivery, but when Melbourne’s second lockdown rolled around, Kuoch went national, using StarTrack as courier. Packaging was finessed to deal with longer travel times. “There is so much advancement in packaging to keep products fresh,” says Kuoch. “We can shrink-wrap many baked goods, which extends the shelf life.”

Now Australia has ‘reopened’, the retail side of the business has improved and Kuoch would like to open more stores. “But 2020 has definitely changed the conversation for us,” he says. “It made us think beyond our stores, integrate e-commerce, and reach customers beyond our local area,” he says. “I am really proud of that.”

Replica Cakes

Wedding cake makers have had a difficult year. North Queensland baker Debra Magatelli lost all her work when the pandemic struck. “I baked cookies for Mother’s Day and hand-delivered baked goods, but it didn’t take off,” she says.

When weddings started to return, COVID-safe plans meant that cakes couldn’t be displayed for guests to admire and couples to be photographed alongside. “I thought it was really unfair that a bride and groom would spend $400-plus on a cake and the guests couldn’t even see it,” says Magatelli. “Brides started cancelling their orders because what was the point?”

Magatelli started making a replica cake out of styrofoam, iced and decorated to match the first. “They could have that one on display all night long and you’d have the eating cake in the kitchen, cut and boxed for guests,” she says. She only charged $15 extra for the styrofoam version. “The situation wasn’t their fault and if I didn’t do it, I often wouldn’t have got the job at all,” she says. Townsville’s wedding season is about to kick off again and eased restrictions mean styrofoam cakes aren’t currently necessary, but if things change, Magatelli is ready to pivot again.

Made to Order Online

Kylie Ferguson owns Flourish Sourdough Bakery in the NSW town of Corowa, on the Murray River. The micro-bakery serviced farmer’s markets before COVID shut them down. With nowhere to sell their products, Ferguson latched onto Cookaborough, an online ordering and logistics platform.

“Within 24 hours they had us ready to take orders for Easter hot cross buns,” she says. “We were really concerned about people losing touch with our product, because when that happens, people generally end up going elsewhere.”

Flourish launched a COVID rhythm of weekly menus, sent via email and delivered to homes. “We did it every week, including targeting towns and communities we hadn’t reached before.”

As markets reopened, Flourish pulled back on online ordering. “If we increase capacity, we might start it up again,” says Ferguson. “It’s been brilliant though, helping us develop the business further than we expected. People further afield know us now. I am sure that if we didn’t have online ordering through COVID, we would not have a business now.”

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The post Bakeries Diversify: Keeping Themselves in the Dough appeared first on Fine Food Australia.

It’s certainly good news for bakeries, once the heart of our communities, as they regain a foothold.

In Brisbane, baker Lachlan Scott opened a second Flour and Chocolate artisan bakery on the north side last year, seven years after his first in Morningside. They serve upward of 2,500 customers in both stores each week.

“We have been very fortunate,” says Scott. “We opened with the tiniest budget imaginable, but we’ve been very successful and able to continue growing.”

Scott says part of that success stems from people looking for better quality food, and a desire to know where it comes from.

“A lot of supermarket bakery goods are imported,” he says. “We support local suppliers and use Australian flours and sugar, local milk and Australian and New Zealand butter.”

According to Scott, being able to connect directly with customers is a big advantage. “It’s a two-way street – a lot of what we create comes from requests from them. We love the interaction and so do they.”

Direct to customers

The desire for connection between consumers and producers has also played out well for Aaron Clark of Husk Bakery in Canberra. He recently changed his business model when it looked like the markets in which he sold his products could close due to restrictions.

“I had to find a solution that would allow flexibility for me to continue doing the markets but would allow me to create some revenue should the markets close,” he says.

That plan was ‘Husk to Home’ – a reboot of the traditional home delivery of bread and bakery products.

Clark was fortunate because he was already set up to do mobile deliveries. He says he was “surprised” at how easy it was to get started, with ACT Health fast-tracking his mobile food licence.

“The advantage of being mobile is that we can come direct to customers,” he says. “We go where there is demand. Initially it was hard to choose suburbs, but this is where Facebook and local media really helped. We had people reaching out to us via community pages and emails requesting their suburb.”

Clark’s van has a Mr Whippy-style speaker system playing music to alert people he’s in the neighbourhood. The reaction from locals has been tremendous, and he has found it personally rewarding, too.

“There is a lot more interaction one-on-one with customers, you get to learn names and their preferences, and support other community groups in the process.”

While consumers may be eating healthier bread, but less of it, it seems all bets are off when it comes to our sweet tooth. Scott’s best-sellers are his fruit and custard Danish, while Clark’s are raspberry jam and cream croissants, Portuguese tarts and the traditional cinnamon scrolls.

Our continued love of sweets is a trend confirmed by the IBISWorld report. Cakes have remained popular because consumers tend to view them as “inexpensive treats”. The market has risen steadily over the last five years.

Search for comfort

Gabi Pahan, of My Bellarine Kitchen in Clifton Springs, Victoria, has seen an upturn in the sales of her sweet treats, too.

“Especially during these uncertain and stressful times, we seek the comfort of something delicious and familiar,” she says. “Sitting down with a great piece of cake in the comfort of our home is a welcome respite from all the turbulence outside. It is also a way for people to connect with each other remotely, when physical meetings are not possible.”

Pahan says consumers appreciate the handcrafted nature of bakery goods. “I see a lot more artisan bakeries and patisseries opening up with an emphasis on handcrafted, made-from-scratch products using single-origin ingredients that are sourced locally as much as possible,” she says.

“Overseas, as well as locally, I see a huge demand for vegan, plant-based and gluten-free desserts, cakes and pastries.“People are more ethically aware, they want to know where their food comes from and are making their choices based on this knowledge.
Industry is responding accordingly with more plant-based and gluten-free alternatives in ingredients as well as finished products.”

Like Aaron Clark, Pahan has pivoted her business model and now comes directly to the consumer. She offers home delivery, using social media to get the word out.

“I post what I’m baking for the week on my Instagram and Facebook pages, along with a home-delivery service – it’s a ‘market comes to you’ concept.”

Pahan also produces a weekly themed dessert box of six individual-serve cakes and desserts, and has a cake menu for whole cakes and other treats. She’s tapped into the yearning for travel, cooking up sweet treats from around the world.

“Due to not being allowed to travel, I’m taking inspiration from the desserts of countries from around the world and using them to transport my customers to these places when they sit down to enjoy say a French eclair or Italian tiramisu. I’m inviting them to use their imagination and, through their taste buds, travel to these faraway destinations with me.”

Who would say no to some sweet, happy thoughts at the moment?

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