Meet Bert, local baker and, together with wife Marta, owner of Murrumbeena Village’s Three Little Bakers. Despite the early mornings, Bert cherishes all the joys of his family business.
Who are you?
My name is Bert and I am a Swiss trained Pastry Cook and Confiseur. I came to Australia in the early 1980s and worked in ***** Hotels in the CBD before staring a small cake shop near Eaglemont. I later worked a few years in a popular bakery in Warrandyte before I found the right place to start up my own business again and took over Three Little Bakers in Murrumbeena.
What are you up to in Murrumbeena?
What am I up to? Well, that’s a question I ask myself many times, as I unlock the gates to the Three Little Bakers. Maybe not “what am I up to” but rather why am I up already, when every “normal” person calls it the middle of the night.
So why do I do it? Simple, I do it because I like what I am doing. It’s a real satisfaction when our customers comment on how wonderful the smell of fresh bread is, coming from the bakery. The appreciation of our customers makes up for many hours of lost sleep, but there is no greater pleasure than the excitement in the eyes of the children, when they discover the wide range of freshly made goodies like the piggy faces, meringues and even the cupcakes.
Dead or alive, who’s your ideal dinner date?
I think it would be my family. It’s a no fuzz event. We get there, we order, we eat, we go home. Over and done with at 6.30pm. And believe me, that is a late night for me 🙂
What do you love about Murrumbeena?
When I first came to Murrumbeena I saw the potential the Village offered for the kind of Bakery I had in mind. A good old fashioned bakery and not one of these modern *high price, small serve* ones. I am happy to say Murrumbeena did not disappoint me a bit. The people are great, the fellow shop owners are terrific and there is a sense of community around. We could really feel that in 2020 when the support of the locals was superb. I would like to thank every one with posting, what I would call “The favourite picture of Bert” as voted by the customers.
Tell us a secret!
My hobby is growing orchids.