Australian Bakery Cafe, Atlanta, Georgia

Posted by Brandon Shook on March 08, 2010 0 Comments

Savory Outback Baked Goodies

G’day mates, welcome to the Land Down Under, I’m here at the beach putting another shrimp on the barbie and wishing you were here. Alright, let me level with you, I’m not really in Australia, though I wish I were because it’s still freezing here in Chicago. I just wanted you to get geared up for reading about the Australian Bakery Cafe owned by Mark Allen and Neville Steele. So get out your bug spray and watch out for crocodiles because were heading out to the savage land of…Georgia?…for a taste of the Outback.

The story of how Mark and Neville opened their bakery is interesting one. The two of them both grew up in a small town called Boort, where it just so happened that both of families owned bakeries. Mark and Neville, having a lot in common instantly became the best of friends, but parted ways to pursue their own goals. Thankfully, those goals were similar because they were reunited in baking school where they both leaned to perfect their art. After graduation, they again went their separate ways, Mark was drawn to the United States to cook for the 1991 Olympic games, while Neville spent his time traveling and soaking in the local flavor of whatever town he visited. Eventually, Neville made his way to the States, where he once again ran into his old friend Mark. They decided that it was fate that kept bringing them back together and decided to open their own bakery.

So what’s Australian food? If you’re thinking Outback Steak House® then you would be wrong. Neville and Mark wanted to bring authentic Aussie food to the people of Gerogia so they created a menu out of their favorite foods from home. Their biggest sellers are meat pies, I know, meat pies might sound odd, but they’re actually very good. Just think chicken pot pie except substitute the chicken for a lot of beef and seasoning. A meat pie can be large enough to feed a family or small enough to be served as snacks for parties. The Australian Bakery Cafe makes a wide variety of meat pies from the traditional Steak, Cheese & Onion pie to their new creations inspired by Georgia like the Creole meat pie. Other popular menu items are their crunchy Anzac cookies and delicious Lamington cakes, and with Easter just around the corner, the bakery is furiously making their special Hot Cross Buns.

Neville and Mark aren’t just satisfied with baking great authentic Australian food, they also like teaching Australian culture too. Every year, Mark and Neville go around to the local schools and youth groups sharing their stories of Australia and giving them food to taste test. The kids aren’t the only ones who like like learning about Australia, the parents also enjoy cultural lessons and find themselves coming back to Australian Bakery for more. If you’re ever in Georgia and want to learn about Australia by sampling some of the nations great food food, then you should head down to the Australian Bakery Cafe in Atlanta or Marietta Georgia for some cooking that would make Crocodile Dundee wish he was back home.

For a taste of Australian Bakery Cafe in your own kitchen, try out their Lamington cake recipe, and let us know how things turn out!
(Recipe generously provided by Neville Steele of Australian Bakery Cafe in Marietta, GA)

Australian Bakery Cafe’s Lamington cakes

Makes about 12

Frozen sheet cake
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of coco powder
1 cup of confectionary sugar
A Pound of dessicated coconut

You can prepare a sheet cake on your own or buy one from the store, just make sure the cake has been chilled.

Cut the sheet cake into 2” squares

Melt the butter in a pan of hot water

Add the coco power and sugar into the water/butter mixture

Stir until mixture thickens up and has the consistency of smooth melted chocolate

Dip the cake into the mixture, then roll it in the dessicated coconut making sure to cover all sides.

Let the cake sit for 10 minutes to set and then you’re ready to serve.

Contact or visit Australian Bakery Cafe at:
48 South Park Square
Marietta, GA 30060
(678) 797-6222
or
463 Flat Shoals Avenue
Atlanta GA 30316
(404) 653-0100