This unique and small bakery with its Scotch oven was built in the early 1890’s by Charles and Stephenson Turner, two brothers who moved from Preston to Mernda Vic. to bake and supply bread to the Little Plenty River Flour Mills and the surrounding district for approximately sixty years. Their brother- in- law and others drove the cart delivering bread to homes in Yan Yean, South Morang traveling as far north as Whittlesea, leaving about midday with the hot bread and returning after dark in the winter months.
The brothers also had a store and sold groceries from the front room of the family home. The bakery was closed and sold in the 1940’s following the deaths of the brothers and the bakery building was then left vacant until the property was purchased by Jonathan Hicks and Sue Ferguson in 2007 who have restored the oven and once again the smell and taste of fresh home made wood fired bread can be enjoyed by the local residents.
The bakery together with a residential home, a horse stable and the remnants of the original coach house sits within a delightful 19th Century Victorian period setting.
Source: Mernda Bakery Café website (no longer active August 2018)
The Mernda Bakery Cafe was owned by the Turner brothers in the early 1890’s. The cafe was then closed in the 1940’s due to the deaths of the brothers.
The Mernda bakery Cafe was re opened in 2007 with the Mernda locals enjoying the beautiful homemade products.
I worked at Mernda Bakery Cafe as a waitress/ barissta for a couple of years, starting in 2009. I enjoyed making coffees, serving our locals and loved talking about the history of this beautiful historical place. Loved the wood fire oven cooking the fresh bread and pastries. The homemade sweets are a must to try.
The Mernda Bakery Cafe is a relaxing and historical place to visit.