EARNING A CRUST

Inspired by the old world cooking of Italy and France, this new Tweed Heads bakery is taking bread back to basics, writes Amber Macpherson

IN a not too distant future, you might not have to travel to Paris to eat the best croissant in the world. Baked at Ancora director Mark Wilson says his new bakery in Tweed Heads will be pulling them fresh from the oven in no time.

“We’re in pursuit of making the world’s best croissants,” Mark says.

Opening on December 12, Baked at Ancora is the product of Mark’s restaurateur background mixed in with the skills of baker Gavin Rudd of Bam Bam Bakehouse and Paddock Bakery fame.

Mark says the combination, sprinkled with bold ambition and state-of-the-art baking equipment, will produce some of the best baked goods in the country.

“Combining what we’ve invested with Gavin’s skills, we feel we can produce something that will put us in the top five bakeries in Australia,” Mark says.

“We feel like we will have the best bread in the marketplace. The shopfront will be pushing out some innovative pastries.”

Baked at Ancora is the extension of Mark’s wedding venue Ancora, a function space boasting waterfront views and a tranquil garden.

The bakery will share the same picturesque setting with wooden barn doors and views to the Tweed River inlet.

Mark says the concept for Baked at Ancora began with his quest to find the perfect loaf of bread and sell it to the Gold Coast.

He says many suppliers he approached weren’t able to meet the demand and quality he was looking for — until he met Gavin.

“We’d been trying to find bloody good bread forever,” Mark says.

“We got a hold of Ancora (the venue), and it sat there empty. A few months ago Gav came looking (at Ancora). He’d left Bam Bam and he was selling his own bread from his backyard.

“He was asking about the little bakery and the penny just dropped. All of a sudden the fuse was lit. I’ve got a Maltese background, my wife is Greek and we’re fascinated by bread and pastries.

“We have this yearning to be like the French, Italians, the old world. They’ve been doing it for generation after generation.

“We’re trying to get that feeling that happens when you’re eating in those laneways in Italy.”

Backed by a team of international and awardwinning chefs, Baked at Ancora will serve sweet and savoury products from its rustic, industrial themed bakehouse.

The main event will be artisan loaves of fresh sourdough and specialty croissants, as well as pastries and an a la carte menu featuring Northern Rivers produce.

Customers will be caffeinated by Ground Control coffee and have the option to eat their baked goods in the adjoining park with a picnic bucket and a rug made from Wandering Folk.

“We have this amazing space sitting on the water,” Mark says.

“Literally dolphins swim by on a daily basis. The shopfitter caught a giant trevally. He had his rod hanging in there as he was sanding.

“There’s two big poinciana trees sitting in the park. There’s all this character and we feel really blessed there.”

Baked at Ancora will open Wednesday to Sunday from 7am to 1.30pm at 118 Wharf Street, Tweed Heads