Sixteen years ago, Kristina Rowe was asked to lend her confectionary expertise to help out at a historical bakery set among the vineyards of Exeter Tasmania.
With its 105-year-old wood oven, Kristina created gourmet delights, adopting the art of old-fashioned baking. Within a year she was running the bakery, and a decade and a half later her beautiful home-baked breads, cakes, pies and biscuits are being enjoyed all over Launceston. The opening of a sister location three years ago, Exeter Bakery in The City, welcomed the regular transport of Kristina’s hand-baked goods to the hungry mouths of city workers. With a business that’s grown 10-fold since its launch, Kristina’s daughter and Business Manager, Tanya, says that their success has proven that old-fashioned baking and strong customer service are still welcome features in today’s hospitality scene.
“So many people think that modern is the only way to go, they want to fix what was never a problem,” says Tanya. “Along with great products, what really sets us apart is that we really care about our customers. We may not have the latest and greatest gadgets, but as we continue to grow we know that’s not always what people want.”
While Tanya looks after general operations, her mother Kristina, now aged 60, works seven days a week creating Exeter Bakery’s gourmet range of baked items. These are sold in the city location’s bakery and café, that sits below an upstairs restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. With that room filling with more than 100 customers at every mealtime, the venue will be starting dinner service shortly.
Head Chef Chris Wright looks after eat-in customers. In addition to great meals, Chris caters for dairy-free and gluten-free dietary needs.
At the café downstairs, customers enjoy Kristina’s fantastic treats alongside quality Bruno Rossi Coffee. Exeter Bakery has been serving Bruno Rossi Coffee since Kristina and Tanya took over operations 16 years ago. Tanya largely credits their quality coffee service for much of the business’s success.
“Our coffee is in equal parts as important as the wonderful customer service and consistently good food,” says Tanya. “It’s what people want; that you show them you care by placing a beautiful cup of coffee on the table.”