Brother Lawrence

Michael Lobbe (previously of now-closed Loaves by Lobbe) spent years working in hospitality and as a primary school teacher. But the real work was happening after hours and on school holidays – when he was teaching himself to make sourdough. Today, he’s channeling that experience into Brother Lawrence, a bagel-centric cafe inside Boom Gallery on Geelong’s Rutland Street.

Enter to find boiled bagels in flavours like poppy seed, sesame, cinnamon and raisin, blueberry and “everything”. Fillings include New York-style pastrami in the Reuben bagel, and salmon with a lemon-and-dill cream cheese schmear and crispy capers. Once you’ve fallen in love with these perfectly dense sourdough rings, you can buy a three-pack to take home. Plus, you can bag one of Lobbe’s sourdough loaves or daily focaccias for later.

But it’s not all about the bread here – the tight all-day menu also features dishes like seasonal soups, loaded falafel pockets and eggs with sides. Sweeter stuff includes cinnamon scrolls, brownies, cookies and muffins to go with Ona’s Raspberry Candy coffee blend, or a seasonal roast from the Paragon brewer.

There’s a reason why everything – from the loaves and bagels to the hot coffee – is so exceptional here. Lobbe bakes with a sense of purpose inspired by Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century French lay brother and monastery cook who hated cooking at first. The original Brother Lawrence came to love his work by dedicating his small, often mundane tasks to god. Not so dissimilarly, Lobbe does much of his baking with the community in mind.