MEET THE BOSSES

Bill, Robert and John Stevenson - Earlyrise Baking Company directors

The business has grown a lot in 100 years, are you planning for the future?

JOHN: That’s all we think about! BILL: We’re looking further ahead, what’s different, what’s new, where we’re going now.

ROBERT: We’ve had to change products. As the market changes you have to change and evolve with it, if you don’t you’re standing still and going backwards.

Is sourdough one of those products?

JOHN: I was making sourdough in 1993 and we couldn’t sell it. I used to have a few Polish people that used to come and buy it.

BILL: And Italians.

JOHN: I had a live sourdough culture going and you have to feed it all the time and look after it.

BILL: He’s still using it. Now it’s in demand.

What about the wholesale arm of your business, Earlyrise Baking Company?

BILL: In our wholesale market we’re supplying all caterers, schools, clubs, pubs, cafes, supermarket chains, Qantas; a whole range of customers. JOHN: I’ve always said you’ve got to have excellent product. It doesn’t matter how big you get. You’ve got to make sure you can supply the demand but keep the quality and freshness. When you get to the point you can’t do that anymore, you’ve lost the plot.

Of the hundreds of awards you’ve won, what does the Emile Serisier Roll of Honour award mean to you?

ROBERT: I remember in the early days going to the Rhino’s and looking at that award and thinking how prestigious it was. I thought, yeah, one day we might get there. Then when we were overseas and that happened, I thought, geez, we’re too young for this!

Then I thought, well, no, we have done a lot. I think I’m honoured to be on it.

JOHN: When you look back at all the people on the Roll, like Frank Brennan; they’ve all done a lot. To be in that pool of people... you do think, ‘Wow!’

How did your children feel about the award?

BILL: My daughter had to accept the award. We were away, and I said you’ll have to accept it and her reply was, ‘Dad, I’d love to do it.’ No hesitation.

JOHN: It’s a great moment for the kids. The difference with our business is that it’s generational. For us to invest all our time and effort into a business and then have the kids become part of it, have them grow up in the business, from sucking dummies to where they are now. They’ve learnt a lot along the way.

Is it hard to have so many in the family, working in the business?

BILL: Whenever we have a family dinner, it’s always about work (laughs). On Christmas Day, my wife says, ‘Right, no work talk today.’

What do you love about your jobs?

BILL: We’re driven I think. We’ve had that strong work ethic from a young age and we just enjoy work, we enjoy the bakery, we enjoy what we do. It’s a joy to come to work.

PHOTO: Dubbo-born brothers, and directors of Earlyrise Baking Company which owns Village Bakehouse, John, Robert and Bill Stevenson. PHOTO: WENDY MERRICK.