“Go west, young man” was the saying back in the day, and that’s just what North End Bakehouse is doing.
After almost a decade of success in Shepparton North, which has seen it win a number of national awards, the bakehouse is set to open a second shop across the Goulburn River in Mooroopna.
“We bought Billy’s Bakehouse in Mooroopna just before Christmas,” owner Matt Aylett said.
“In between then and now, we’ve been full-on into renovations. We’ve gutted it and it’ll be pretty unrecognisable to pretty much anyone who’s ever been in there, and it’ll be a nice new fancy shiny thing in Mooroopna.”
It’s something of a homecoming for Matt after starting his apprenticeship with Billy’s Bakehouse.
“I started my apprenticeship in 2006 there, and I was there for about eight years, and we’ve been here nearly 10, so it’s a good story to go back to where I started it all, and we’re pretty excited to get into Mooroopna and get our products out to them,” he said.
North End Bakehouse under Matt started out as a family operation but now employs 14 staff, with that number set to grow through the Mooroopna expansion.
The new Mooroopna shop will be open from Monday to Saturday and is actively recruiting shop manager, senior and junior casual and baking staff positions.
The Mooroopna shop will open in April, coinciding with a new look for the North End Bakehouse brand. It’s a well-known brand now, too, with not only locals enjoying its prize-winning products but travellers from far and wide making a point of stopping off to sample them.
“In 2023, we won Australia’s best vanilla slice, and we won The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph, and then, prior to that, in 2021 and 2022, we got Australia’s best hot cross bun,” Matt said.
“So it’s been a good four or so years for us. We’ve really got ourselves well known around the place, and now, we want to keep working on that, and that’s all part of our growth into a new shop and to keep pushing for different awards.
“It’s crazy where people will come from after learning of the awards. People come in from far north Queensland and Perth, and we’ve had people who have been in the country from overseas and stop in.
“We’re acting a bit like a tourist attraction.”
For more information on job opportunities with North End Bakehouse, go to https://northendbakehouse.com.au/come-and-work-for-us