BEST BAKERY: Family run bakery wins Matt Preston’s competition

Winner of Matt Preston’s Best Bakery in Mackay pays homage to the matriarch who made it all happen.

Lillian WatkinsLillian.Watkins@news.com.au

less than 2 min read

April 27, 2021 - 2:43PM

Kylie Edwards, Ron Dawson and Amanda Kennedy are the siblings behind Alcorn Bakery's success. Picture: Lillian Watkins

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A good vanilla slice is akin to a slice of heaven and these bakers know it.

Alcorn Bakery in Andergrove rose above the rest, taking out the top spot in Matt Preston’s search for the Best Bakery in Mackay.

Running the bakery is a family affair with the matriarch Joyce Dawson offering more than 50 years of experience to the art.

But Joyce’s son Ron Dawson now heads the back room and her daughters Kylie Edwards and Amanda Kennedy captain the front of shop.

Yet the siblings insist their mother and her expertise hasn’t gone anywhere.

“We trade six days, but mum’s still in here seven,” Kylie said.

“Without mum we wouldn’t be here, but without Ronno we wouldn’t have our product.”

Kylie said Ron could bake with his eyes closed.

“I think I have,” Ron said.

Ron said he was worried for the business when the bakery was forced to move from its Bedford Road home to its new address on Central Drive three years ago.

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“We were closed for about five weeks,” Ron said.

“But when we opened up again, the doors opened at 6am and we were sold out by 9am.

“I don’t think I slept for three days.”

The siblings said it was all about their customers and being voted by them as the best bakery in Mackay was just the cherry on top.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Kylie said.