Candied bakery listed in La Liste’s best pastry shops among 80 countries
Not only have Orlando and Toula Artavilla and their Candied Bakery, in Spotswood, featured on Channel Nine’s Post Cards, it has also gained recognition worldwide.
Candied Bakery is one of 56 Aussie bakeries and pâtisserie’s to make it to La Liste’s 2024 global ranking.
Founded in 2015, the French created La Liste provides an independent ranking for bakeries, restaurants and hotels to create the ultimate list of the worlds’ best.
Australia-wide, Victoria has 24 bakeries, NSW 31 and WA just one, which received this international recognition.
For the Cobram born baker, it’s a huge tribute to be included among the finest bakeries in the world.
Best buddies do it together
Stephen Luke has battled two serious incidents in his life and amazed everyone with his ability to get back up and overcome whatever life throws at him.
While back at work after his most recent incident, when hit by a car in Woolworths car park late last year, he struggles each day but is never seen without a big smile on his face.
“I am just so happy to be back at work,” he said.
“It means everything to me. I love the people I work with, and customers always love to have a chat.”
Last week, Stephen’s youngest son Matthew, 15, began a trial work period at Woolworths.
On his first day he was shown how to operate the registers and generally assisted with customer service.
The young Cobram Secondary college year 9 student is not certain what he would like to do when he finishes school.
But he is grateful for the opportunity to be given a trial at Woolworths with his dad.
Stephen has become a legend at the store, showing rare determination to get back to his job despite some difficulties. He is admired for his willingness to help people every single day.
O’Reilly’s to offer unique dining experience
Leesa O’Reilly has a passion for many things, such as good food, wine, photography and interior design.
She has showcased a wide range of skills and talents throughout her successful career.
She has table designed and photographed the food of many of Melbourne’s top chefs for Vogue Living, Vogue Entertaining, Travel and Donna Hay, together with styling more than 36 stunning cookbooks.
In 2015, she was presented with a prestigious Maggie Diaz Women in Photography Award.
Leesa’s talents developed after finishing her schooling and heading to Sydney to undertake a course in the travel industry with Ansett Airlines.
Working in a corporate capacity and wearing a headset all day, she would return home each evening and change the interior of her apartment.
One day, a friend suggested she try a creative role with Country Road and from there she worked seven days a week for the next 18 months.
Returning to Melbourne, Leesa worked as an assistant stylist at Country Road when she met Helen Redmond, the Melbourne editor for Vogue Living.
As a young stylist, Leesa noticed that most of her jobs appeared to come from conversations with people.
She said to Ms Redmond that she had followed her work for many years, and would love to help her.
Three days later, she got a call from Ms Redmond offering her a position as Style Editor, contracted to forecast style trends for a period of three years.
“It was so fantastic, I worked with some of the best photographers in the country,” Leesa said.
Some years later Leesa opened a ‘Pop up’ eatery behind a friends' gallery in Hawksburn and invited chefs to do a lunch which she would promote.
“One chef did an ode to Mietta O’Donnell and Gloria Staley,” she said.
“I was so excited, and he told me I was the best ‘maître d’ he had worked with.”
Mietta together with Staley of Fanny’s, despite being from different era’s changed the face of fine dining in Melbourne.
Leesa has effectively done it all and recently made the decision that it was time to open her own eatery, O’Reilly's Food and Wine in Cobram.
A considered decision, it had been in her thoughts for many years and returning to her home town where her father Peter, a former Cobram pharmacist still lives, it seems just right.
This Friday, July 5, Leesa will open O’Reilly’s from noon until 6pm offering a delectable range of Mediterranean, Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern inspired treats, all made on the premises from locally sourced produce.
Leesa has decided to open while waiting for her liquor licence to be approved.
She will increase her hours of opening once it has been approved.
In the meantime, O’Reilly’s Food and Wine will be open Friday, July 5–Sunday, July 7 from 12noon until 6pm.
There is seating for an intimate number of 19 patrons in this charmingly warm and inviting eatery and the food will undoubtedly surprise and appeal.
O’Reilly’s is situated at 15 Bank St, Cobram.
Do drop by, it will not disappoint.