With a local fanbase already for their award-winning bread, family-run Slowbreads is a scumptious and very welcome addition to Willoughby.
We’ve all been waiting for it and now the delicious aroma of Slowbreads’ award-winning sourdough will soon be wafting down Willoughby Rd…
The artisan bakery, which has built a loyal Roseville following, is opening in Willoughby (hopefully this weekend – the team are working hard to make it happen🤞), bringing its slow-fermented breads, pastries and coffee to the neighbourhood.
The bakery’s beginning is a sweet story: It all began in early May 2020, during lockdown, when early retirement wasn’t quite going to plan for Laurence Kiely.
“To be honest I was getting pretty bored at home – there are only so many cat videos you can watch!! So, I decided to do what I knew best and bake some bread.”
At first, his sourdough was simply for his two “ravenous teenagers” and their friends, before his wife suggested sharing it with neighbours. The response was so positive that some told him, “mate, you should sell this”.
Word quickly spread, with neighbours posting photos on socials, recommending the bread and becoming regular customers.
As demand grew, the family kitchen could no longer keep up. In August 2020, Laurence found a shop at 100 Pacific Highway, near Roseville Cinema and just minutes from home, and set up the new bakery.
With lockdown restrictions still in place, bread was delivered directly to customers’ homes – a service that continues today. As orders increased, family, friends, neighbours and even customers were called on to help with deliveries, turning what began as a way to pass the time during lockdown into a rapidly growing local business.
While success was rapid, Slowbreads still maintains their method of taking the time to make their bread slowly and properly – and it’s paid off.
“We’re famous for our white sourdough,” Laurence says proudly. “We won multiple awards for that at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show. So that’s really what the number one attraction is.”
For the new Willoughby venue, the bread will be made on site, so locals can pick up a freshly baked loaf without leaving the suburb.
While sourdough might be the star, the pastries are not to be passed over.
“Our Danish pastry and croissants are pretty good too. They’re very popular,” says Laurence.
There will also be takeaway coffee, with Slowbreads continuing to serve the coffee previously available from Coffee Drs at the site. A win for locals with their morning coffee routine sorted.
The bakery will start quietly, with a weekend soft opening before gradually adding more days. Laurence says the team wants to get everything working properly before opening fully.
“We want to make sure that we’ve got all of our processes in place and that everything works properly and all the kinks are out before we go full bore” he says.
Slowbreads also makes a genuine effort to support local, from ingredients and flour to equipment suppliers and staff.
“We’re obsessed with that,” says Laurence. “We want everything to be sourced as close as possible, that way we support other local businesses too.”
Good bread, good coffee, local staff, local suppliers and a bakery that takes the time to do things properly – Slowbreads is the perfect fit for Willoughby Road.
Story: Elissa Bramley
Slowbreads Willoughby
📍 527 Willoughby Road, Willoughby NSW 2068
📞 0435 809 154
🌐 slowbreads.com.au
📸 @slowbreads
