Austro Bakery reopens in North Melbourne after summer break

North Melbourne’s beloved Austro Bakery has reopened its doors after a two-month summer hiatus, welcoming back customers with its signature pastries, cakes, and focaccia. 

Now operating just two days a week for retail, the bakery continues to focus on quality products, offering a unique selection of baked goods to its loyal clientele.

Owner and trained chef, Sally Roxen, previously ran Austro Bakery’s flagship store in South Melbourne for six years, making the move to North Melbourne as part of a shift in the business’ focus. 

“We were quite close to the South Melbourne Market, which was just getting busier and busier. But I didn’t feel it was still our vibe,” Sally said.

The decision to relocate was also influenced by the need for a larger kitchen to accommodate the bakery’s growing wholesale operations. 

“The kitchen at our South Melbourne site wasn't big enough to cope with our wholesale, so the move was a bit of a shift and refinement of the business operation – coupled with North Melbourne being a very attractive place,” Sally told North West City News. 

The North Melbourne location, previously occupied by Beatrix Bakes, came to the owner’s attention by chance. 

“When that (Beatrix Bakes) closed down, we recruited one of the bakers, and she mentioned that this was going to be vacant – it was a great opportunity.”

Austro Bakery specialises in laminated pastries, cakes, and focaccia, aiming to “mix things up” for regulars returning each week.

Customer favourites include their signature coffee scroll and chocolate cinnamon scroll, as well as seasonal treats like Swedish Easter buns that are currently on offer. 

The summer break allowed the bakery to avoid the worst of the heat, which can be detrimental to delicate pastries. 

“We closed down for a couple of months because it's quite a rudimentary little shop with no air conditioning and no refrigeration,” Sally said.

“We're proud of the shop, but it gets very hot. So, we thought, let's just take the break for January and February.”

Now back in action, Austro Bakery is open on Friday and Saturday mornings, drawing a mix of loyal locals and bakery-hopping visitors. 

“There seems to be people doing a bit of a circuit of bakeries, which is great,” she said. 

Balancing wholesale production with direct customer engagement through its retail shop, Austro Bakery continues to flourish as a beloved cornerstone of the community. •