When Paul Aron opened Mary Street Bakery in Perth’s Highgate thirteen years ago, the city’s artisan bakery scene was barely a scene at all. In this Crumb Wire profile, the founder reflects on five stores, a wholesale operation and why staying ahead of the curve doesn’t mean abandoning what you’re good at.
Tell us a bit about yourself – what’s your background and what led you to the world of food and drink?
I grew up in country Victoria, my parents were publicans and also my grandparents. We lived in the pubs we owned.I loved this as a kid and for as long as I can remember, and knew from an early age that I wanted to work in the industry and own my own business.
Tell us about Mary Street Bakery and what makes it unique?
Mary Street Bakery was one of the first artisan bakery cafes in Perth – we are known for our eclectic brunch dishes and our vast array of both American + French inspired baked goods. Everything that we sell is made by hand. From the jams to the sauces, to our bread. We even roast our own coffee.
Talk us through the journey of your brand. What have been some of the key achievements and challenges along the way?
We started 13 years ago at our Original Store in Highgate on the corner of Beaufort Street and Mary Street, so having a business that continues to grow is a great achievement. We currently have 5 stores and a large production facility, where we bake everything.
From there, we also run our wholesale business where we supply cafes, restaurants and grocery stores across the greater Perth area. The greatest challenge whilst scaling a business is maintaining quality and that is something that we pride ourselves on achieving, while we make products on scale. Having passionate staff who care is the key to our success.
How has the Australian market responded to the brand and what has surprised you most?
Mary Street Bakery has become a trusted part of the WA hospitality scene – I’ve loved how the Perth market responded to craft bakeries, and we can see this scene really blossoming in Perth with smaller crafty bakeries popping up a lot now.
What is one thing you wish more people knew about the work you do?
A big part of what we do at Mary Street Bakery is to get involved in the local community. We often raise money for charities in-store via sales of donuts and baked goods.
For example, this month we’ve launched an MSWA Collab Donut where one dollar from each donut goes directly to West Australians living with MS. We also sponsor kids’ sporting clubs with game day prizes and we give prizes to as many local fundraising events as possible each year. We believe healthy communities are important!
How do you see food and drink culture in Australia evolving and how does your brand fit in?
We are seeing a lot more eating at home with friends, so coming in and grabbing boxes of mixed baked goods or ordering them via our catering portal has become increasingly popular.
Another thing is people seem to be looking for balance in their lives, be that saving time by grabbing takeaway or straying beyond the baked goods to our salads and sandwiches and sales of these are growing constantly.
We are currently doing a collab with strength and conditioning coach, Chris Nanya from Adapt Health Club, where we have launched MSB Daily, a new range of salad bowls with protein add-ons and protein shakes and snacks, which is going really well – people are loving that they can grab a big colourful bowl without having to touch the chopping board!
We always like to keep our finger on the pulse and try and be ahead of the curve while still staying true to what we do.
What keeps you inspired as a founder?
Reading books, travelling to eat and drink and surrounding myself with business people, creatives and friends that are passionate about what they do inspires me.
What’s next for you and the brand?
We are looking to add more grab + go stores and will continue to expand our wholesale business.
And finally, what do you like to do when you’re not at work?
When I’m not working, I am at the beach or out mountain bike riding – I love to cook, so I spend a fair bit of time doing that at home
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