“The guy smashed some windows and then just left.”
Tait said police arrived shortly after.
Police told the Herald the alleged offender fled the scene on foot before police arrived. Inquiries are still underway.
Tait said while her business partner was physically unharmed, the experience had left staff shaken.
“He’s all good, but definitely very shaken.”
Rollers Bakery is closed after the attempted break in. Photo / Rollers Bakery
Tait said what unnerved staff most was the apparent aggression of the man.
“It’s really tricky to know what they were going for. It almost seemed like they were looking for a fight or just trying to cause damage.”
The attack comes amid what Tait believes has been an increase in crime in the surrounding area.
“There have been a few break-ins at the liquor store next door,” she said.
Tait said the store is closed today while they sweep up broken glass and have the door repaired, but they did have bread for their regulars who popped by.
“We’d already baked off all our bread for Saturday, which is quite a lot,” Tait said.
“You can’t really stop that process. Everything’s mixed the day before, proofed overnight and baked in the morning.
“There are heaps of people who come for their Saturday bread, so we’re just keeping an eye out for our regulars and letting them know what happened.”
Known for its pies, sourdough bread, pastries and croissants, Rollers Bakery has developed a loyal following.
“Everything’s made on site and from scratch,” Tait said.
“We put a lot of love into it. It takes a lot of energy, but we’ve created a really cool community here.”
Ryan Fox, and Rollers Bakery where they serve the Foxy pie.
The bakery has experienced a surge in popularity this year after the success of its now-famous “Foxy” pie, named after New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox.
The steak, bacon jam and cheese pie shot to national prominence after Fox was spotted enjoying one following his British Open victory, sparking queues outside the Northcote bakery and drawing customers from across Auckland and beyond.
Tait said the attention had transformed the business almost overnight.
“It’s been very, very good for business, but it’s almost impossible to keep on top of,” she said.
Tait said they had cut their opening days over winter to try and have a break, but they were swamped with new customers.
“There was one week where we were only open three days and we still made more than what we would have done in five days before.”
Tait said the business had only recently started settling back into a more manageable rhythm when Saturday’s attack occurred.
“We thought it was finally getting back to some normality and then this happened.
“So now we’ve got to tackle this problem.”
The latest setback is another chapter in what has been a turbulent period for the business. Tait said the bakery had previously dealt with burst pipes, major building works and other unexpected disruptions.
“Our ceiling had pipes burst after Easter weekend, we’ve had the whole building covered in scaffolding, and there’s always something,” she said.
“It’s actually crazy. You couldn’t write a book about it.”