Straight from the oven to adoring fans, baked goods are hot property in the food world right now, with cult bakeries bucking industry trends to open second, and third, outposts.
There’s a new breed of celebrity chef in town, and they’re not afraid of carbs. From croissants to challah, artisan makers are elevating the corner bakery to cult status.
In a social media age where food fuels the feed, and the cost of living is seeing us favour little luxuries over all- out indulgence, bakeries provide the sweet relief many crave. Take the fervour that met Lune Croissanterie’s NSW debut, the second interstate foray of Kate Reid’s Melbourne-born brand after Brisbane. When two Lunes opened days apart late last year, Sydney lined up in droves.
As the founder of Brooki Bakehouse, Brooke Bellamy has risen fast in the Sunshine State, having just unveiled her third bakery at Brisbane’s Westfield Chermside less than three years after baking her way from social media star to business owner with her first. Baker Bleu’s brand-new store in Cremorne, Melbourne, is its biggest yet. From its original Elsternwick home, the boutique baker has chalked up three Victorian stores and an outpost in Sydney’s Double Bay. Cremorne adds a dine-in menu that makes the leap from takeaway bakery to cafe.
In Sydney, the Etymon Group has brought its popular North Sydney bistro and boulangerie Loulou city-side, with bakery Petit Loulou launching first to CBD workers’ delight. Head baker Brendon Woodward credits the accessibility of artisan pastry for the fanfare.
“Classic viennoiserie endures because it combines tradition with familiarity… Even in times of cautious spending, these pastries remain a favoured, affordable treat,” he says.
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Alongside classic French-style pastries, a wave of innovative bakers are imbuing their treats with flavours from Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines and more. In Adelaide, Shibui Dessert Bar is poised to reveal its new St Peters location Shmochi by Shibui, where the signature mochi doughnut will find a new legion of followers. Raymond Tan first won his own legion with Melbourne bakery Raya, and has just opened his third bricks-and- mortar site Dua Bakehouse in Collingwood Yards.
“Fusion cooking is quite common in many restaurants, but it is relatively rare in bakeries, or at least when I first started Raya,” Tan says. “In my baked goods, I strive to evoke a sense of nostalgia and comfort that reflects my upbringing in Asia, my travels, and my time living in Australia. We tend to eat with our eyes first, and social media has transformed pastries and baked goods into art forms that have piqued people’s interest and encouraged them to seek out the next little indulgence.”
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