Whangārei CBD: European bakery All You Knead rises to popularity

They chose the Vine St store because it was around the corner from the Water St Whangārei Farmers’ Markets on Saturdays.

Stella said the first day made the pair realise they would need to expand to keep up with demand.

“We opened the shutters and the queue was past the traffic lights and around the corner.

“We decided we would need some help, so we called up friends to give us a hand, and it grew from there.”

Within weeks, All You Knead had its first employee.

Chefs Aurelio Stella (left) and Mirco Seifert started All You Knead on Vine St because they love baking European-style bread, including the large crusty white loaf (left) and organic rye. Photo / Denise Piper

After their first year, they moved the bakery to a commercial kitchen in The Strand Shopping Centre, walking freshly baked goods across the road to the Vine St shop.

This year, they expanded into a second commercial kitchen in The Strand, allowing them to expand their range of baked goods into croissants and other pastries.

Stella said the bakery’s growth was about customer demand.

“Basically, we just tried to listen to what people wanted, and it gave us the direction of what we were offering.”

The location enabled access for regulars such as market-goers, CBD workers and inner-city dwellers.

“We have so many amazing locals that turned up weekly, or sometimes daily, and supported us: it’s been amazing,” Stella said.

Mirco Seifert says All You Knead has worked around its tiny Vine St shop by opening kitchens in The Strand across the road. Photo / Denise Piper

Quality baking remained the heart of the business, with each loaf having a long fermentation time.

Stella also credited All You Knead’s eight employees for helping drive the business forward.

This included Pinja Mäkipää, who recently won the Te Tai Tokerau Regional Barista Open and will represent Northland at the national barista champs in September.

All You Knead continues to grow and is looking for a second shop outside the CBD.

The lack of parking was customers’ biggest gripe about the Vine St store, especially those just popping in to grab a loaf, Seifert said.

He believed free parking, even for 30 minutes, would help many small businesses in the area.

Aurelio Stella (left) and Mirco Seifert are pleased with their latest kitchen expansion in The Strand, which allows them to make croissant and other pastries. Photo / Denise Piper

Stella said it would be nice to see more food places in the inner city, with cheaper leases encouraging small businesses to fill empty shops.

Seifert said the buildings in their area of town, including upper Vine, Bank and Water streets, were looking tired and needed renovation.

But he admitted the area had changed for the better over the past three years.

“When we first started, we thought, ‘Who’s going to come here?’ Some people even tried to talk us out of it.”

The area was now a foodie destination, with nearby businesses including South African flame-grilled eatery Braaihut, Little Bamboo Asian Eatery, bakery-turned-pizzeria Handsome Frog, produce and bakery Taimahi Trust and new Bank St cafe Leito Gelato.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.