RISE Ventures Celebrates the Opening of the Kowanyama Bakery!

 

RISE Ventures Celebrates the Opening of the Kowanyama Bakery!  

Wednesday 29 June was a day of celebration for the Kowanyama community with the official re-opening of the Kowanyama Bakery!  

This venture is not just about delicious breads and pastries; it signifies a significant step towards economic development and improved health for community residents. 

The bakery is poised to become a cornerstone of the community. Its re-establishment will create numerous job opportunities, providing vital employment for many local residents. 

This opening has been a year in the making with many hurdles along the way. 

The building and equipment are owned by the Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council and after some discussions with the RISE Ventures Kowanyama team, they put the lease up for tender.  

Our application was successful and we signed the lease at the end of 2023, however we didn’t beat the rain!  

The start of the wet season was the end of supply trucks accessing the town and we had a bakery, a Baker and no ingredients.  

During this period, our Baker Joshua moved to Kowanyama and got to know the community. 

He worked with our team to clean-up the bakery, make sure all the equipment was working, plan the menu and pricing, and finalise staffing needs.  

Five months later, we had got enough ingredients in for Joshua to create a mini-menu and prepare for opening day!

At 9am on Wednesday 29 June, we opened our doors and welcomed the community in for fresh bread, pastries, toasties, pies, sausage rolls and sandwiches.  

The hot ticket item on opening day? Lamingtons! 

A community member expressed the collective excitement and relief brought by this new development, stating, “The bakery is something we have waited a long time for, it is good to see it running again and giving local people jobs.”  

This sentiment echoes the broader community’s anticipation of the positive changes the bakery will bring. 

RISE Ventures are dedicated to building the bakery into a sustainable, community-owned and operated business. This model ensures that profits are reinvested into the community, promoting further growth and development. 

“We are thrilled to support this initiative. Our goal is to empower communities by helping them build self-sustaining businesses. The bakery is a perfect example of how local enterprises can drive economic and social benefits.” 

The bakery’s opening marks a new chapter for Kowanyama, providing a source of fresh, healthy foods, and fostering a sense of pride and ownership among the residents.  

It stands as a testament to what can be achieved when community spirit and supportive partnerships come together. 

We’re extremely proud of the whole team who was involved in the opening event and ongoing operations.

We had new bakery staff step-up with some rapid learning on the job, all done with a smile. 

Alongside them, we had the Kowanyama RISE team, our General Manager Megan and Micro Enterprise Manager Yvette, lending a hand behind the counter – a real team effort! 

We’re excited to support the growth of the bakery and we’re counting down until the full supply truck comes into town!  

Until then, we’re open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am-1pm, with our hours and menu expanding soon.