29th September marks the 40th anniversary of Australia’s most iconic bakery, Bakers Delight. To honour the milestone, it’s toasting the occasion by shouting Aussies 40,000 of the much-loved, signature Cheesymite Scrolls.
While many of us have a personal Bakers Delight favourite – from the beloved Hot Cross Bun and twisted delights, to the innovative Hi-Fibre Low GI Block Loaf – there’s no denying the Cheesymite Scroll has garnered a cult following down under like no other, with approximately 100 million sold in the past 40 years (an average of 30 per hour!). Vegemite fused with melted cheese, could there be anything more Australian?
So for one day only on Tuesday, 29th September, customers across the country can indulge in a FREE Cheesymite Scroll from their local bakery, relishing in the nostalgia of four decades in the baking.
Born and bred from humble beginnings in 1980 by founders Lesley and Roger Gillespie, the business has grown from a single bakery storefront in Hawthorn to more than 650 bakeries worldwide. And it’s fair to say most Australians now live a stone’s throw from their local Bakers Delight – its distinctive burgundy logo and the smell of fresh-baked delights form part of the nation’s collective memory.
The bakery’s launch in 1980 was revolutionary. The Gillespies were baking and selling artisan breads and making them accessible at a time when there were few specialist French bakeries. These days, their offering boasts a mix of traditional and artisan breads that are lovingly baked daily, using flour sourced from Aussie farms and processed by family-owned millers.
Joint CEO Elise Gillespie says she takes great pride in reflecting on the business her family has created, particularly how it has generated opportunities for hundreds of other families throughout Australia and beyond.
“While our presence has continued to grow, seeing the core Gillespie values still filter through each and every store is something we’re really proud of. Some of our franchisees have been with us since inception, and we’ve loved fostering a family-supporting-family model.”
The brand has now become a household name across the country, with this milestone an opportunity to reflect on its rich history while toasting to the next 40 years of bready goodness.
“Bakers Delight has evolved into somewhat of an institution in Australia. It’s likely most of us, both young and old, have a fond food memory that resonates with the brand.
“Whether it’s been a springboard for young Aussies entering the workforce, a ritual pit-stop post-Saturday morning sport, or a key centrepiece on Aussie dinner tables, we all have our own personal connection to Bakers Delight. And we couldn’t be prouder to be intertwined into the everyday Australian fabric and so many Aussie lives,” she concludes.
Family, passion and community underpin Bakers Delight’s recipe to success. Committed to supporting communities, its hundreds of bakeries still provide daily bread donations to local schools, sporting groups and charities across the country.
And if 40 years in business wasn’t reason enough to celebrate, 2020 also marks Bakers Delight’s 20-year partnership with Breast Cancer Network Australia. Raising more than $20 million in funding and services across two decades, of all Bakers Delight’s community initiatives, the partnership is one the organisation is most proud of.
Bakers Delight’s in-store giveaway will be celebrated on 29th September, with customers in all states except Victoria asked to simply mention the Birthday offer in order to redeem. And for Victorians, it will be a random ‘act of delight’ whereby lucky customers making purchases throughout the day could be gifted with the iconically scrumptious product.
Limited to one Cheesymite Scroll per person while stocks last, all Bakers Delight bakeries will have social distancing floor decals and customer limits to ensure COVID-19 Government regulations are followed.
Bakers Delight