Taking over Bruns Bakery in Brunswick Heads was a full-circle moment for Co-Owner and Baker Kurt Hogan, who started his career at the venue in 2000 as an apprentice at the age of 14.
When Kurt, his wife Mel, and their business partners acquired the venue in 2016, the traditional bakery had been an institution in the local community for more than 60 years. Wanting to honour its history but also update the space for the modern consumer, they consciously renovated the venue to create a contemporary bakery and café.
“We managed to save a lot of the original bricks and they’ve been used throughout the space. The timber beams are also the originals from the 1950s,” says Kurt.
“The bakery is now much more open plan. There’s a bench that runs along the centre and customers can watch the bakers working on the next batches of pies, sourdough, cakes, and pastries.”
The baking team craft the huge selection of edible items that tempt customers from the sprawling glass cabinet built into the wooden bar at the heart of the venue.
“The bakers are massively creative and have the freedom to come up with whatever they like. Of course, we have staples that our regular customers love, but the lineup changes constantly depending on the season and what people are enjoying,” says Kurt.
“Over the years, we’ve probably come up with hundreds of different cakes, pastries, pies, and gourmet sandwiches.”
Last year, Mel and Kurt parted ways with their co-owners and are now running Bruns as a family business with their two young children. Around this time, they also switched their coffee offering from a local roaster to Sydney’s Campos Coffee.
“Coffee has grown to become one of the biggest elements of our business now. During the holiday season we can get through 80 to 90 kilograms per week,” he says.
“We decided to work with Campos because they’re a quality brand known right across Australia. We get a lot of visitors in Brunswick Heads so it’s good to be able to offer a brand they know. It’s also a fantastic quality coffee.”
Kurt says tourists often want to take a memento home from their trip to Bruns and that made by Fressko’s reusable cups branded with the bakery logo are a popular choice.
“We’ve also seen an increase in interest in sustainability and customers wanting a reusable option for their takeaway coffee,” he says. “We love being part of the local community and are always looking for ways we can positively contribute.”
Bruns Bakery
15 Fingal Street, Brunswick Heads, New South Wales, 2483
Open Monday to Saturday 6am to 3.30pm, Sunday 6.30am to 3.30pm
