Aussies’ obsession with baked goods shows no signs of slowing, despite the cost of living crunch. With TikTok, Instagram, and run clubs at the helm of the boom, small bakeries are turning into local sensations through creative, seasonal flavours, and nostalgic twists. How are these little luxuries keeping loyalty to the local bakery up?
Chef Felix Goodwin is the co-founder of Kudo, a bakery set in a hole in the wall within Melbourne’s heritage-listed hotel The Windsor. Having coeliac disease, Felix created Kudo with Elena Nguyen to bring artisanal gluten-free baked goods to coeliacs to stop them feeling left out when others are enjoying a baked treat.
Chef Elena Nguyen is the co-founder of Kudo, a bakery set in a hole in the wall within Melbourne’s heritage-listed hotel The Windsor. Kudo specialises in canelés made the traditional French way, and a variety of boule, sourdough, and miche – all featuring seasonal ingredients and Asian influences – tapping into Elena’s Vietnamese heritage.
Executive chef at Gelato Messina and co-founder of Shadow Baking, Tom Mitchell has been working in the kitchen for over 15 years. At Gelato Messina, he leads a team of over 20 chefs in the brand’s factory where he manages the production of cakes, chocolates, and bespoke products, and oversees the Messina Creative Restaurant. His experience in pastry and desserts also stems from seven years as head pastry chef at Zumbo Patisserie.
Sarah Wei is a journalist and producer based in Melbourne and Hong Kong, with a focus on the travel, lifestyle, and arts and culture sectors. She has produced over 35 talks and workshops with 120 speakers, three large-scale 5-day events, over 20 community events, one VR/AR exhibition, and more than 150 published features and stories across the region.