Read how fifth generation baker Melina Longhurst brings old-style family traditions to the heart of the Dandenong Market.
The Longhurst family has a long history in the baking industry in Victoria. It all started in 1852, when William Longhurst arrived in Ballarat from England, and set up his first bakery and mixed business in Daisy Hill. He began baking bread for the locals, and selling picks and shovels to the prospectors. Before long, he was supplying bread to the township and surrounding areas.
From right: Mum, Susannah and Melina Longhurst, Dandenong Market
Today, Melina keeps the family tradition alive by bringing old-style baking methods to modern-day shoppers in her cosy corner of the Dandenong Market. Her beautifully baked breads include a tempting array of sourdough, ciabatta and other loaf varieties. Pies, pastries and quiches as well as mouth-watering macaroons, tarts and slices complete the selection, and her delicious cakes are perfect for your next family function.
Always up for a challenge, Melina transformed Freshabake in Oakleigh into "a very homely” bakery with open-style shelving that display their products to the advantage they deserve.
“You should feel comfortable and at home here. We have set our products out so that you can wander around and help yourself, or ask us for help, we are here to assist,” Ms Longhurst said.
Her two brothers have long been bakers at the store and her sister, who runs the successful French Lettuce Patisserie in Carlton, provides beautiful cakes that complement the range.
“It’s a great addition,” Melina said. “I love to display and sell my talented family’s wonderful cakes.”
Prior to COVID-19, Melina said she was seeing a shift in young shoppers towards independent, individual shops on community retail strips.
She said, “The under-40s are a supermarket generation but we see them more and more in the bakery. The individual, family-run business is a great service to the community.”
There is no doubt that the smell of freshly baked bread – no matter where you are – is enticing, but the greeting you get from your local bakery, and the feeling you get from shopping local, is unique.
Visit
Melina's Bakery & Larder Stall M14 – Meat, Fish & Deli, Dandenong Market, Clow Street & Cleeland Street, Dandenong, VIC 3175
Freshabake Oakleigh Central, 39 Hanover St, Oakleigh VIC 3166
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