Bakers Delight celebrates 40 years

Tuesday, September 29 will mark the 40th anniversary of Australia’s most iconic bakery, Bakers Delight. To honour this milestone, the business is toasting the occasion by shouting its Aussies customers 40,000 of the much-loved signature Cheesymite Scrolls.

While many of us have a personal Bakers Delight favourite – from the classic hot cross bun or twisted delights to the innovative high-fibre, low-GI block loaf – there’s no denying that the Cheesymite Scroll has garnered a cult following down under like no other, with approximately 100 million sold in the past 40 years (that’s an average of 30 per hour). Vegemite fused with melted cheese… Could there be anything more Australian?

So, for one day only, on Tuesday, September 29, customers across the country can indulge in a free Cheesymite Scroll from their local Bakers Delight bakery, and relish in the nostalgia that’s been four decades in the baking.

Born from humble beginnings in 1980 by fourth-generation baker Roger Gillespie and his wife Lesley, the business has grown from a single bakery storefront in Hawthorn, Melbourne, to more than 650 bakeries across Australia, Canada, the USA and New Zealand. The Gillespies chose the name because they believed that every loaf, every roll, every pizza and bun should be a delight to bake, a delight to eat and a delightful customer experience.

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 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’s generated opportunities for hundreds of other families.

“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,” she says. “Some of our franchisees have been with us since inception, and we’ve loved fostering a family-supporting-family model.”

The Bakers Delight brand has now become a household name across the country, with this milestone providing an opportunity for the business to reflect on its rich history while toasting to the next 40 years of bready goodness.

Family and community underpin Bakers Delight’s recipe to success. Committed to supporting local communities, its hundreds of bakeries continue to provide daily bread donations to 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, this partnership is the one the organisation is most proud of.

Bakers Delight’s in-store giveaway will be celebrated on September 29, with customers in all states except Victoria asked to simply mention the birthday offer in order to redeem their scroll. For Victorians, it will be a random “act of delight” whereby lucky customers making purchases throughout the day could be gifted with a Cheesymite Scroll.

The offer is 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.