Raymond Tan is on a roll. The self-taught baker – whose artful bakes have caught the attention of Vogue and the Museum of Modern Art in New York – is busy with his bakery Raya, co-running laneway cafe Matcha Mate (or Nimbo by night) with his cousin, and getting ready to roll out the dough for his forthcoming “Scandinasian” bakery Dua in Collingwood Yards.

In the last year alone, he also had his debut exhibition and worked with Piccolina on a gelato collab. It’s no piece of cake juggling everything alongside his multiple creative projects.

Of course, he needs to adequately fuel up for the day to get through all that work. When he gets the chance, his go-to is the classic Malaysian brunch he grew up eating. “My last ever breakfast would be kaya toast and soft eggs with soy sauce and white pepper. And a hot cup of coffee, obviously.”

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Next month, he’s putting together a special morning meal – and you can join him. For just one day, the prolific baker is popping up at Axil Coffee on Bourke Street, where he’ll serve a dreamy brunch spread paired with Axil coffee, all bolstered by plant-based barista milks from The Alternative Dairy Co.

It’s a feast worth becoming a morning person for – and it’s exclusively for Broadsheet readers. You can’t purchase tickets: the only way you can get a seat at the table is to be one of 20 lucky winners of our competition.

The sit-down brunch will centre around Tan’s custard bun, which uses The Alternative Dairy Co plant-based milk. “It’s like a take on kaya toast, but deconstructed,” he says. Tan already uses the Aussie-made, high-quality oat milk at Raya, so he’s familiar with using the creamy milk substitute and how it complements coffee.

As you’d find in a classic Malaysian kopitiam, there’ll also be soft-boiled eggs to dip and swirl your bread through. “That’s usually what we eat [in Malaysia], but we’re making it a little bit more Scandinavian,” he says.

Beyond that, Tan will bake your day with a spread of condiments like cheese, jam and cashew butter, as well as fresh fruit and pickles. “We’re gonna put everything on the table, and the guests can pick whatever they want. It’ll be like a mix-and-match situation.”

It wouldn’t be a Raymond Tan spread without some of his signature Southeast Asian sweets. So there’ll also be a nine-layer rice cake with kaya. “If I have time I’ll throw in a flan,” he says. Somehow, we suspect he’ll find the time.

Tan has also collaborated with Jack Simpson – the two-time Australian Barista Champion winner and barista at Axil Coffee – on a brew pairing. Simpson will be there making lattes on the day, and will share some insights on coffee roasting and plant-based milks.

To join our competition and go in the running to win one of 20 double passes to the event, enter your details below. The event will take place at Axil Coffee, 565 Bourke Street Melbourne, from 10am to 12pm on Sunday February 9, 2025.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with The Alternative Dairy Co.