Family run Brisbane sourdough bakery to close after 30 years

A family-run Brisbane sourdough bakery that’s been operating for more than 30 years is being forced to close, with the owners citing two key reasons for the decision.

Richard Cotton, the owner and baker at Brewbakers. Picture: File

A family run bakery in Brisbane’s inner north is set to close, with the owners citing a critical skill shortage and slim profit margins.

The former Eagle Junction Bakery, now trading as Brewbakers, was established in 1992 by current owners Richard and Caroline Cotton.

The Albion store had struggled to find a new baker. Picture: Supplied

This is the latest bakery to disappear from Brisbane’s landscape, as liquidators have been called to wind down BCN Events Group operations cafe and patisserie Mica in Newstead, Mica Express in Brisbane’s CBD, King St Bakery in Bowen Hills, wholesale services provided by the Kneadery in Newstead and cooking school Lumiere.

Nestled along a strip of shops on Sandgate Rd in Albion, the bakery had been setting the bar for the skill and craftsmanship to craft by hand, sourdoughs to pastries and cakes and bagels.

Owner and baker at Brewbakers Richard Cotton had been baking since 1990. Picture: Jono Searle

The sourdough bakery sources local organic flour from Kialla Mills, and say their product is becoming too expensive to produce and are struggling to find a replacement baker.

In 2019, the Albion bakery took a hot twist on the centuries old hot cross bun, and perfected a sourdough hot cross bun.

Mr Cotton told The Courier-Mail in 2019 he was “fascinated” with sourdough in 1990, when his brother’s friend who owned a bakery in West End was short-staffed and needed a hand.

“I went in to help and I’ve been baking since,” Mr Cotton said.

Ms Cotton said with rising costs, she was finding it harder and harder to turn a profit in the bakery she has held alongside her husband for 30 years.

“It is a skills gap, but I also think since you know we have very successful businesses I think a lot of bakeries have opened nearby, probably about five or seven in the last five to seven years.

“So maybe if those five or seven other bakeries hadn’t opened there might have been someone we would have been able to secure.”

Brewbakers at Albion to close after 30 years in businesses. Picture: Jono Searle

A steady stream of customers filled the small artisan bakery and Ms Cotton has since had to explain to customers that they do not intend to renew the lease and the bakery will close on June 15.

“We have explained to them the best we can (the) small businesses issues that we can’t predict and we can’t get a baker,” Ms Cotton said.

“People are quite dedicated to this place because some of them have been coming here since they were kids. People have been quite emotional.

“We thought we might’ve had (a baker) up until quite recently but he is leaving to return to his home country.

“In the end it will just be Coles and Woolworths left.”

This comes after news another beloved cult Brisbane bakery is quietly closing its doors. Jocelyn Hancock’s Cake & Bake store in Newstead closed in February after eight years.

In a note to customers on the window of its now empty shopfront, Ms Hancock wrote: “Dear friends of Cake & Bake. We have closed, thanks for your support 2015 - 2023.”