What’s in a name: Building a baking business

It all started when Mike was halfway through that age-old trajectory: school, university, marketing degree, you know the drill.

But as he explains, he wasn’t feeling particularly motivated by it all: ‘I wanted to start a business,’ Mike recalls. ‘And I wanted it to be hands-on.’

So, Mike started baking. ‘I became obsessed with it,’ he shares. ‘I loved the idea of starting a bakery. It’s unglamorous work, but that’s what drew me to it.’

Mia was working at Commonwealth Bank at the time, meaning she was the perfect brains behind the business’s banking.

Before long, all that was left to do was choose a name.

‘My family’s always loved opposites,’ Mike explains. ‘If you’re tall, they call you small. If you have red hair, they call you blue.’

That’s right, Mike – affectionally known as ‘blue’ in this family – indeed has red hair! So why the unusual spelling?

‘The spelling of Bleu is a bit of a homage to the French baking tradition. It’s also fun to hear people pronounce our name as “Baker Bleugh”,’ Mike laughs.

 

 

Humble beginnings: Getting off the ground

If you look at each of Baker Bleu’s locations today, you’ll find they have a few things in common. And they’re the same things Mike and Mia were looking for from day dot.

‘For our first store, we wanted to be around schools. Because schools equal families and families eat bread,’ Mike says. ‘We needed somewhere with good parking and good surrounding businesses – like a coffee shop.’

So, they knew they’d hit the jackpot when they found a place on Glen Eira Road, just down from Caulfield Grammar and next to Glover’s Station.

‘But it wasn’t easy,’ Mike shares. ‘Starting a business from scratch is one of the most nerve-wracking things you can do because everyone’s a critic and everyone’s got an opinion.

‘And we were just 2 people standing behind a bench in front of a bread rack!’

For a long time, Mike and Mia worked 14-hour days and 7-day weeks. But it paid off.

‘If we ever had any leftovers, we would walk up and down Glen Eira Road handing loaves out for free. Soon enough, people got to know us, they told their friends, and away we went.’

 

 

Slowly but surely: Baker Bleu’s rise to success

It wasn’t long before Baker Bleu became the talk of the town.

‘We became synonymous with an amazing loaf of bread. And we made them day in, day out,’ Mike says.

As demand grew, Mike, Mia and their community knew they were destined for better things.

‘People were asking us to offer cakes, sandwiches, coffee and so on. And while we appreciated the feedback, we wanted to stay true to ourselves and not rush into anything,’ he explains. ‘So, we took on their advice in our own time.’

But the popularity of their small Elsternwick shop quickly outgrew its space. That’s when loyal customers, our very own Phillip and Jacob Kingston, stepped in to let them know they had the perfect spot waiting for them – in Caulfield North!

Just days later, Baker Bleu secured the iconic Hawthorn Road shop we all know and love. The larger space allowed Mike and Mia to expand their offerings, starting with pastries. Once they opened their next location in Sydney, it was sandwiches, pizzas and coffee galore.

‘We’re evolving slowly and thoughtfully,’ Mike shares. ‘Whenever we do something, we want it to be the absolute best it can be. And the foundation is always the bread.’

The partnership with the Kingstons proved invaluable beyond the bakery. The following year, Mike and Mia turned to Jacob to help them purchase their new home – cementing a well-baked relationship.

 

 

Far and wide: The Baker Bleu expansion process

With thriving businesses in Double Bay, Hawksburn and Caulfield North, many small business owners may be wondering how Mike and Mia made these strategic location decisions.

And they’re all too happy to share.

‘We ask ourselves a few questions before locking in any new location,’ Mike shares. ‘How can we offer our product in a new market? How can we offer it at its highest quality? Who are we actually selling to? And finally, is it a good deal?’

Because, if you asked Mike and Mia, they’d love to open many more stores, much faster than they currently are. But if they don’t like the answer to one of the questions above, the deal’s off.

‘Baker Bleu is built from an uncompromising pursuit of quality,’ Mike shares. ‘So when we grow, we never cut corners on the quality of our ingredients, our costs or our processes.

‘Whenever you shop at Baker Bleu – wherever you shop – you’ll get the best products possible.’

 

 

The secret ingredients: Working smarter (and harder)

So, what goes into creating a successful bakery? Well, it’s just that.

What goes in.

‘We always source the best ingredients we can,’ Mike says. ‘Our flour and grain are all 100% Australian. And when it comes to our processes, we use all the same methods people used thousands of years ago to bake the best bread – including long fermentation,’ Mike shares.

‘But where possible, we also complement our process with technology to speed up the timeline,’ he continues.

Sourdough tanks, digital programming, automated proving cabinets – Baker Bleu has implemented it all to save time for its staff, without compromising what works.

‘This way, everything falls within a working day – so our staff can come back the next day and do it all again.’

 

 

You get what you give: Supporting local businesses

If you asked Mike and Mia, Baker Bleu would be nowhere without the support of their community.

‘The success of any business is embedded in the people that live and work around it,’ Mike states. ‘So, we respect all the businesses we coexist in the neighbourhoods with. It’s why we get up in the morning – so we can grow together.’

Baker Bleu’s respect and gratitude also extend to customers, because they’ve never forgotten where they came from.

‘I’m still always so humbled whenever there’s a big queue outside the bakery on Easter or Christmas,’ Mike says. ‘I like to go down the line with a paper and pen to take and deliver people’s coffee orders.

‘I feel like that’s the least I could do if someone’s going to queue up on Christmas to buy my bread!’

 

 

The world’s their oyster: What’s next for Baker Bleu?

Looking to the future, the sky is the limit for this little bakery that could.

‘We’re opening up a new, greener store in Cremorne this December – which has more optimised baking technology – and we’re keen to open up even more stores after that,’ Mike shares. ‘One of our points of difference at Baker Bleu is that we bake our pastries and pizzas onsite. Our products aren’t coming from a warehouse far away.

‘However, But finding locations to accommodate that does slow down the expansion process. So stay tuned!’

Whatever comes next, it won’t be just anything. ‘If it’s not good, we won’t do it,’ Mike states. ‘We put our utmost into everything we do, so if any business decision isn’t going to be amazing, we’ll have to rethink it.

‘We owe that quality to our customers. We want to do a good job. For them.’

 

 

Need a fresh loaf of bread – or a tasty sweet treat – from a friendly face? Check out your nearest Baker Bleu for the best of the best.