Cherished cake maker Pippa’s Pantry has opened a pink-hued bakehouse in Camp Hill
One of Brisbane’s most beloved bakers has finally opened her own shop. Virally popular Pippa’s Pantry pulled back the curtain on her brand-new Camp Hill headquarters last month, giving fans a dedicated space to source its carefully crafted and custom confections. But it’s not just cakes on the offer here. Pippa’s Pantry is selling everything from croissants and cookies to savoury scrolls and ice-cream sandwiches – all undetectably vegan and all decidedly delicious.
If you are ever looking for a textbook example of a self-starter, look no further than Pippa Blatch. The mastermind behind cake and bake sensation Pippa’s Pantry has built a cult following on the back of her range of hand-crafted sweets and savouries – vegan-friendly goodies that have been causing a stir on social media in recent years.
In early April, Pippa’s Pantry evolved from its existence as a nomadic pop-up, opening its own pink-hued shopfront on Old Cleveland Road in Camp Hill. The new venture has been a roaring success so far, with cupcake cravers and doughnut devourers flocking for a fix.
But this chapter is only the latest in the Pippa’s Pantry story – a tale that stretches back to 2017, when Pippa was slinging coffees by day and hobby baking by night, documenting her formative baking endeavours on social media while selling her cupcakes for $2 a pop.
“I started sharing it on Instagram and, because I was vegan, I was hashtagging – vegan baking, vegan this, vegan that,” says Pippa. “It really got picked up by the algorithm.”
The algorithm carried Pippa’s Pantry to the feeds of foodies across Southeast Queensland and, soon enough, Pippa was approached to set up a stall at a vegan market on the Sunshine Coast.
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“I took 500 cupcakes, which took me two days to make – morning and night,” says Pippa. “I sold out completely in an hour and 50 minutes.”
“The market was on Sunday – I went to work on Monday and said I was going part-time. Within two weeks I was doing Pippa’s Pantry full-time.”
The ensuing years saw Pippa build her following through a consistent market schedule, pop-up appearances at Westfield shopping centres, corporate catering gigs for big-time clients and custom cake orders, the latter of which has boomed in popularity in recent years. Eventually, this irregular schedule made custom cake collections difficult, prompting Pippa to finally plant roots with her bricks-and-mortar headquarters in Camp Hill.
“Working from a rental kitchen, then my home kitchen and then the pop-ups, it was always a matter of juggling where I will be on any given day for cake pick ups,” says Pippa. “This [shop] is just so easy and it makes more sense. I’ve always wanted to do all these different things, but I’ve never been allowed to.”
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From the outside, Pippa’s Pantry might seem a bit cosy. The three-by-three-metre dispensary shields a substantially larger kitchen space in the rear, which is where Pippa spends most of her week scaling, mixing, whipping, baking, icing and decorating her product range. The shop itself is only open on Fridays and Saturdays, but cake collection can be arranged for other days in the week.
With more elbow room to swing a whisk, Pippa is relishing the chance to broaden the scope of her menu while maintaining her strictly vegan methodology. While not beholden to trends, Pippa isn’t shy about wanting to please – if there’s a demand for a viral item, Pippa is more than game to have a crack at it.
“I really try to jump on things that I think are cool or I want to try and make cool,” explains Pippa. “I’m going to make what people want to buy. I love adapting because it’s just me and I don’t have staff. Pippa’s Pantry is an umbrella – I can do dog treats if I want!”
The offering starts with Pippa’s virally popular cupcakes, which come in flavours like Rocky Road, caramel latte, strawberry lemonade, white-choc Biscoff and classic chocolate. Then, there’s a selection of chunky cookies loaded up with M&Ms, Snickers and Jammy Dodgers, plus an Iced Vovo-inspired number.
Pippa has expanded into pastries (think lamington croissants and choc-chip crookies) and ice-cream sandwiches, as well as a clutch of savoury items. In addition to classic Vegemite-and-cheese scrolls, Pippa’s Pantry is also serving ham-and-cheese croissants and focaccias infused with olive and rosemary.
In an age where social media can give a palpable boost to small food-based businesses, Pippa has managed to leverage viral success into a sustainable following thanks to an ability to let her effervescent personality shine through in each post. While Pippa’s Pantry treats are without a doubt delicious, Pippa has clocked that many customers also pop by in the hopes of catching the baker for a chat, like you would a friend.
“People have followed me through my first heartbreak – I literally had my first heartbreak and had to do a market the next day,” says Pippa. “I can’t be as personal as I used to be because I’ve just been so busy, but I reply to everyone.”
Perhaps, too, folks can see the hard work and dedication Pippa has poured into every step – a fact that the business owner is immensely proud of.
“I have done this from the bottom up – no loans,” says Pippa. “I tried every route all by myself and busted my ass to get this, which I think people can see.”
Pippa’s Pantry is now open to the public – head to The Directory for more info.