Overview
What started as a lockdown pop-up now has a permanent home in the Inner West, with the team behind Ragazzi, Fabbrica and Love, Tilly Devine opening Fabbrica Bread Shop, its first bricks-and-mortar bakery, inside an idyllic grocer in Rozelle.
Back in 2021, Sydneysiders were pining after any treat they could get their hands on as they stuck out a four-month lockdown. During this time, the Love Tilly Group was one of many Sydney favourites that made a pivot to something a little different and more takeaway-friendly, utilising its King Street pasta and wine shop as a bakery on weekends. The name: Fabbrica Bread Shop.
Following the success of this limited-time venture, the crew has set up a permanent bakery and 12-seat cafe. Looking to take your morning coffee and treat up a notch? You'll find the latest Love Tilly opening within the new Maloneys Grocer that's opened just down the road from Egg of the Universe, My Friend the Baker and The Red Lion Hotel on Darling Street.
Leading the impressive kitchen is Love Tilly Group's Head Baker Aniruddha Bhosekar and Fabbrica Pasta Shop's Alyce Bennett (formerly Humble Bakery). Raised in Thane, Bhosekar was trained at Mumbai's oldest hospitality institute, bringing this wealth of hospitality experience to create a one-of-a-kind slate of bakery items.
Expect a mix of classic baked goods and experimental items, including hot honey focaccia, Tathra Place porchetta croissants, metre-long pizzas, cookies the size of your hand and basque cheesecake.
The pick of the bunch is the banoffee tart, which has a banana bread energy to the filling and is topped with fluffy banana cream. It's truly indulgent but not so sweet that you can't start your day with it.
"We're finally in a space where we can experiment," says Bhosekar. "We're making puff pastry from scratch, more pastries, more cakes, more bread and croissants, which is a three-day process of mixing, resting and laminating."
Inside the grocer, you'll find fresh produce, bouquets of flowers, artisan pantry items and more Fabbrica goodies. Sourdough baked right there at the bread shop, plus the team's beloved ready-to-cook pasta packs and jarred sauces, can be found on the shelves of the store.
And the Fabbrica Bread Shop loaves aren't your everyday sourdough. The bread uses three different flours from Wholegrain Milling in Gunnedah and requires over 24 hours of proofing on-site.
"In the near future, we're looking to work with more small wheat growers in regional NSW and Victoria and hope to roll out loaves that champion a different grower and grain each month," continues Bhosekar.
This is the latest exciting evolution of the Love Tilly Group's offerings. The acclaimed hospitality team has previously opened its namesake Love, Tilly Devine, Potts Point institution Dear Sainte Eloise, the bakery's sibling venues Fabbrica Pasta Shop and Fabbrica Balmain, as well as Palazzo Salato and La Salut. The last of which recently took out the Special Jury Prize at the international Star Wine List of the Year awards for 2023.
Fabbrica Bread Shop is now open at Maloneys Grocer, 733 Darling Street, Rozelle — operating from 7am Monday–Sunday.
Images: Jana Langhorst for Buffet Digital