Hector’s Deli owner Dom Wilton knows a sandwich is only as good as its bread. So he’s made it an inside job. While the team previously dabbled with in-house baking out of their South Melbourne store, they quickly outgrew the space and outsourced the effort. But now, at their new Richmond flagship Hector’s Bakery, they’re bringing it back home. Within the sizeable open kitchen, they’re producing sourdough Turkish bread, dark rye loaves and pillowy potato buns for all four deli locations – and soon, customers will be able to purchase them too.
“The whole reason we did this in such a transparent way was to show people what we're about,” says Wilton. “It’s always a fear of mine that people will lump us in with other food businesses that scale too fast. We’re doing everything we can to make sure our product is up there with the best one-off bakeries in the world.”
With the baking setup in place and a team of skilled pastry chefs behind them, Wilton figured they might as well expand the range. Head of pastry Aram Yun, formerly of Bloomwood, and head baker Bertan Osman (ex-Rustica and Natural Tucker) have collaborated on a sharp menu that keeps it classic with a nod to old-school Aussie bakes.
Since opening their doors last week, the cinnamon rolls have been an instant hit – thick, rustic, and slathered with icing, they’ve been selling out in just hours each day. Other highlights include cinnamon sugar and maple-glazed doughnuts, pain au chocolat and twice-baked almond croissants shaped into pressed spirals reminiscent of a kouign amann.
Savoury pastries take cues from the sandwich menu. A peperonata, cheese, and mushroom croissant uses the same mushrooms as the vegetarian melt, while a sausage pastry features the same protein and Hectic sauce found in the breakfast muffin, finished with a brush of hot honey.
“The idea was to offer something familiar for people who don’t want to commit to a full sandwich in the morning but still want the Hector’s Deli flavours,” says Wilton.
That said, all the usual suspects are still available for those who want them. To drink, find Criteria Coffee and refreshing non-alcoholic spritzes, all made in-house.
Hector’s Bakery is located at 33 Stewart Street, Richmond, inside a repurposed heritage building across from Richmond Station. It’s open daily from 7am to 3pm, but if you’re after something sweet, get in early – they’re selling out fast.
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