Have you been to Agnes Bakery? This new bakery on James St in Fortitude Valley isn’t hard to find. Just look for the queue of people waiting to get in, Wednesdays to Sundays. When people line up for their brekky even before the store opens, that’s when you know you’re on to something good.
Agnes Bakery, which started welcoming customers in late October 2021, takes pride in making everything in-house from scratch so that every batch of baked treats is served warm and fresh daily.
From the crusty loaves of sourdough bread, perfectly burnt yet creamy Basque cheesecakes, comforting choux buns, and delightful kouign-amanns, every bite of goodies that come from the bakery’s wood-fired oven leave a satisfying taste that lingers…no wonder many customers come back for more!
Curiously, however, the bakery wasn’t in the plan for the owners. Experienced hospitality operators Ben Williamson, Ty Simon, and Frank Li — who run popular Brisbane restaurants like Same Same, Honto, and Bianca — initially set their sights on opening a restaurant (also called Agnes).
However, things changed when the hospitality industry took a big hit during the pandemic. Not to be discouraged, the operators decided to shift gears and use their Agnes Restaurant spot as a pop-up bakery, opened during limited hours only, in August 2020 until the pandemic panic subsided. Amidst social distancing guidelines, customers lined up for the limited offering which has prompted the owners to consider expanding their business plan to include the bakery.
“One of the concepts we have started to explore more is how the use of fire applies to working with ancient and sustainably grown grains, and how it can add to the complexity of flavours in sourdough and pastries, both sweet and savoury,” the owner said. “On top of this, we wanted to provide people with the opportunity to enjoy some of the wares we serve at Agnes restaurant, within a casual setting.”
As things fell into place, the former Agnes Bakery pandemic pop-up became a stand-alone, permanent site and not merely an extension of Agnes Restaurant, with 14 bakers in the kitchen and 10 staff at the frontline. The group also formulated an enhanced menu filled with more appetising choices.
Apart from the pop-up favourites, Agnes Bakery also offers smoked potato braid, heaps of danishes (potato/rosemary, apple crumble, and blueberry/citrus, among other flavours), as well as a rotating mix of cake slices, flans, cookies, and savoury muffins and pizzettes. Soon, the bakery will also introduce a lunch range featuring ciabatta sandwiches.
For those on the clock, the bakery has a convenient coffee window for quick orders.
Agnes Bakery opens Wednesday to Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Follow their Facebook page for updates.
“Everything is excellent and can’t wait till they add some more condiments and things. They make stuff you don’t really see in Australia (like pithivier) which is fun as well.”
Ben E
“OMG! This beautiful bakery is an absolute gem! I called in at the end of their 1st day (my interest was sparked as I drove past in the morning and there was a 100-meter line-up of peeps down James St). This place must have something going for it. I was not disappointed. The young, cheerful girl who greeted me was very knowledgeable on the delights available. I purchased a blackberry and blueberry and passion fruit with melted marshmallow Kouign-amann. Supercalifragilisticepialidocious is an apt word for my experience of this pastry delight. From the crispy outer layers of glazed pastry to the inner taste bud tingling cream patisserie, I was completely lost in indulgent heaven.”
Samantha Hutchison
