Wake up and smell the pastries at Rise Bakery’s Newstead outpost
It was only a little over a year ago that Rise Bakery first introduced itself to Brisbane diners. Over that period, the Portside Wharf-based artisan boulangerie and salon de thé has become a go-to for those that fancy French-inspired goodies. Earlier this month, Rise Bakery opened its second Brisbane outpost, this time taking over a space at the Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct. Rise Bakery is slinging its stellar range of sweet and savoury pastries, with plans in the works for much more to come. Here’s what we know …
Though Brisbane isn’t short on bakeries, the closure of Shannon Kellam’s Mica Brasserie still left a noticeable hole in the city’s baked goods offering.
When the celebrated chef’s hospitality group entered voluntary administration earlier this year, Mica’s chic digs at the Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct were left empty and the adjacent promenade, once a buzzing hub of early morning activity, was rendered silent. That is until recently, when the space was brought back to life under the custodianship of a new croissant-making crew – the team behind Rise Bakery.
Rise Bakery quietly expanded to the Newstead precinct earlier this month, giving the Mica space a quick cosmetic touch-up (orchestrated by Lowry Group) before filling the pastry cabinet with its signature range of buttery French-inspired treats. Though it already operates a location a few kilometres away at Portside Wharf (as well as its flagship at Sanctuary Cove), taking on the Breakfast Creek locale presented not only a great business opportunity, but a chance to honour Shannon Kellam’s legacy and continue his work delivering authentic French goods to the masses.
“I am emotionally attached to this place, so is my business partner,” admits Harry Ohayon, who co-owns Rise Bakery alongside Maxime Bournazel. “We were big fans of Mica – we were here at least twice a week. Before we created Rise, Mica was my go-to for every time I needed a little piece of France.”
Harry confirms the Rise team met with Shannon to get his seal of approval before signing on.
“Because of us thinking highly of Shannon and what he had created, it was important for me to have his blessing if I was going to take over the venue,” says Harry. “I think one thing that Shannon and we have in common is that we have the same vision and the same mission, which is really to showcase the French craftsmanship in patisserie and viennoiserie. We’re trying to keep things authentic and Shannon had the same mindset.”
Rise’s full range of sweet and savoury items – crafted by chef Adrien Marcinowski is available at Breakfast Creek. You’ll spy classics like traditional and almond croissants, pain au chocolat, pain Suisse, apple turnovers, vanilla slice, lemon-meringue tarts, cream-filled Paris brest and chocolate eclairs. On the savoury side, there are baguette sandwiches, quiches, pies and sausage rolls. The range will differ slightly from Portside’s, with a range of salads and smoothies to be introduced soon.
“Being a bakery, we’ve come to the realisation that it’s a bit tricky sometimes to cater to that healthier side,” says Harry. “We need to be able to provide some 80 percent baked goods, 20 percent healthier options. So we’ve got protein shakes and smoothies coming, and we’re looking and exploring the option of doing some composed salads that are ready to go.”
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The bakery – which is trading from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, seven days a week – is only the first stage of the Rise team’s plans for its Newstead location. Early next year, the team will open a restaurant on-site. Though details are being kept close to the chest, Harry confirms that the venue will offer lunch and dinner, with an estimated opening date pencilled in for March.
That’s not all – a third stage will involve activating the entire promenade with new permanent fixtures including a kids’ playground, food outlets, cocktail bar, day beds and QR codes for easy ordering. The team is also constructing new furniture on the promenade, expanding the dine-in capacity of both the restaurant and bakery. With the connection between Newstead Park and the boardwalk to be unveiled soon, Harry believes that giving life to the waterfront strip is of the utmost importance
“It’s very important to ensure that at the end of the line, which is here, you find food and beverage facilities,” says Harry. “You can really spend some time, relax and wind down. This is really what the Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct is about. We really want to bring that vision alive.”
Rise Bakery is now open to the public. The team is currently hosting a Christmas giveaway on its Instagram page, with prizes including dinner at Mademoiselle. Head to The Directory for more information and stay tuned for updates on the venue’s new elements next year.