Bruce and Gail Lindbeck took over ownership of Smeaton’s Bakery 19 years ago in May 1997. Bruce, who had previously worked in a bank, as Club Manager and in the Bathurst Goldfields, had to learn to bake from scratch from the previous owner. Today, Bruce and Gail have built up a bakery famed for its rustic, handmade products that look like food from the era before mass produced products. “We make a timed dough at our bakery,” says Bruce; “This means the dough is fermented or proved over a few hours.” The process allows the bread to create its own sweetness through the fermentation process.
“We add approximately 500g of sugar into 25kg of flour, which accounts for 2% sugar, while the Australian standard is a maximum of 6% sugar in bread.” Smeaton’s has the same philosophy for all its products, whether it be pastries, slices, fruit buns or pies. “We are very proud of our pies at Smeaton’s. We regularly receive comments from our customers about how much they enjoy them.” The pastry is made in-house and the meat locally sourced, making the traditional meat pies very popular as well as the curry and mushroom and cheese and bacon pies.
Bruce and his son Braden have exciting plans to expand the handmade brand by introducing new products for sale every Saturday morning from 13th August until the end of October. The new range includes a sourdough loaf, spelt loaf and multi-grain bread, as well as chicken and vegetarian pies, and quiches, croissants, bagels and donuts. “We will make all these products in our bakery. This is something we pride ourselves on – not ordering products from large suppliers that are frozen or filled with preservatives to give them a longer shelf life.”
Smeaton’s has also introduced hot and cold beverages, including espresso coffee, available from 5.30am every weekday morning.
