I first came across Keiran when I walked into his pastry shop in Elizabeth Bay a couple of months ago. His wife, Sophia reached out to me to do a photoshoot to highlight his signature range of breads and pastries and his upcoming Christmas hampers. I thought I’d check out his space.

I’m going to begin by saying, my nose guided me to Keiran’s bakery. You know where I’m going with this, don’t you? The intoxicating aroma of buttery, yeasty pastries filled the air and made me momentarily forget I was on a busy Sydney street and not in a quaint French village. On entering the bakery/patisserie my eyes feasted on all the scrumptious goodies on offer. The croissants, canelés, cakes and a myriad of sweet and savoury treats featured alongside the extremely popular loaves of sourdough. 

But enough about that first visit. Here’s Keiran to tell you a little bit about his passion.

1. How long have you been in business and how did you decide to start a business?
   I started my own business because I think it’s every chef’s goal to have their own business. To be a good cook AND a good business man is very difficult. You are usually one or the other. Every day is a continuous challenge due to the industry’s demand.  We’ve been operating  for 4 years now.

2. What does your typical day look like?
   My alarm goes off well before the sun even considers rising, first coffee is a must and can’t come quick enough (peeks of having a personal barista): double shot ristretto followed by a strong latte in quick concession, now the real work starts. Between juggling wholesale demands and both stores there are also two little princesses who require my attention and of course my drop dead gorgeous wife. Try to get home in time to walk the dog but usually just end up doing the dishes and passing out on the couch. The first few years were tough, but the last year has seen a big shift in balancing home/work life and I owe this to my stellar team that I have working alongside me. 

3. What is your most popular product in both your Dulwich Hill and your Elizabeth Bay shops?

   Definitely our 72 hour sourdough. 

4. What is your most popular sweet/savoury treat?

   I’d have to say our most popular savoury would have to be our pork and fennel sausage rolls followed very closely by our chunky meat pies. Sweet would have to be our canelé, even though they are small, they bring so many smiles to people’s faces and they are just too damn good to pass up if I do say so myself. 

5. Have you ever developed or improved a recipe?

   Yes. We are continually revising and improving on existing recipes I have written up years ago. Except of course our sourdough, that one remains perfection as it is! 

Baked by Keiran's signature range is available at both his Elizabeth Bay and Dulwich Hill stores.

6. What are you offering your customers for Christmas?

Our Christmas Hampers will include:

• Gingerbread men, tree, ball - our signature soft and chewy gingerbread

• Mince Pies - soaked fruit mince with a crumbly, buttery pastry

• Keiran’s Drunken Christmas Pudding (900g)

• Shortbread & Jam Biscuits - buttery short bread with a blueberry centre

• Spiced Christmas Canelés

• Christmas Cranberry Granola

• Christmas Fudge log - dried fruit & cranberry Fudge

• Cupcakes - we will be releasing a new themed cupcake every weekend in the lead up to Christmas

• Black Forest cake

  Also we have teamed up with an Australian artist who did some original artwork for our Dulwich Hill store and has now transferred this onto a mug - just in time for Christmas! Claude the Croissant Mug now yours to have and to hold. 

Baked by Keiran's Christmas Hamper is available at both his Elizabeth Bay and Dulwich Hill stores.