Social media influencer Brooke Bellamy’s bakery chain, Brooki Bakehouse, is set to expand away from Australian shores for the first time following significant investment from Middle Eastern equity firm Arada.
Brooke, who has more than four million followers on social media, opened the first Brooki Bakehouse in 2022, and has since grown the business to hold four locations around Australia.
A series of popup stores are set to be opened in key markets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain to close out 2025, before a pair of flagship stores are expected to open in the region in the first quarter of 2026.
The AED60 million (AU$25 million) investment comes after the Brooki brand’s debut at Abu Dhabi’s international food festival earlier this year, where customers reportedly waited for two hours for the opportunity to purchase baked items from the popup.
Brooke says the expansion of Brooki into the Middle East will help give Australian products a greater foothold in this emerging market.
“This transaction is about taking an Australian story to a global stage,” she says.
“We built Brooki from scratch – no shortcuts, no compromises – and now, with Arada, we have the platform and resources to share our creativity, quality, and community around the world.”
Since launching in Australia in 2024, following its foundation in 2017, Arada has become heavily involved in the food and beverage space.
Its portfolio includes franchise partnerships with Boost Juice and the acquisityion of Sydney coffee roastery The Reformatory Lab.
Brooki’s is far from the only Australian brand to expand into the Middle East in recent years either, with the likes of Ona Coffee announcing its intention to open a venue in Dubai earlier this year.
Group CEO of Arada, Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, says the investment into Brooki Bakehouse sets the business up well for further expansion outside of the UAE in the future.
“This investment in Brooki Bakehouse reflects Arada’s commitment to creating meaningful lifestyle experiences that connect people through culture, food, and design, as well as our track record of investing in and expanding best-in-class Australian brands overseas,” says Ahmed.
“Our investment will enable Brooki to scale its reach into new markets, particularly in regions where Arada operates, including the UAE and United Kingdom, while strengthening its base here in Australia.”
