It’s not uncommon for people to leave a corporate career to open their own venue, but Bill Zahr is balancing both. After two decades as a lawyer, Zahr is also now the owner of Knead Bakehouse, a new bakery in Rockdale conveniently located around the corner from his law firm. “In the back of my mind, I’ve always said I want to do something in hospitality,” he tells Broadsheet.

Sitting just outside the Rockdale train station and near a busy bus stop, Knead’s concept is about “delivering slow food fast”, according to Zahr. “We want to redefine the grab-and-go concept – why can't you get a gourmet pie on the go?”

While Knead is the realisation of a long-time ambition, Zahr readily admits he hasn’t done it alone. “As a lawyer, over the years, I've met some incredible people in the hospitality industry.” Some of that help has come from his brother-in-law and business partner Mick Faraj, who’s serving as head barista and overseeing the shop’s operations, while pastry chef Jonny Pisanelli (Sonoma, Hinchcliff House) acted as a consultant to help Knead craft its inventive menu.

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Inside, Knead combines an airy, sunlit setting with light wood panels, terrazzo benchtops, and pressed-metal ceilings. Seating along the sun-drenched windows offers a spot for those who aren’t rushing off to catch a train or bus.

At the centre of the bakery is a self-service island, where customers are encouraged to grab a tray and tongs, and load up on pastries, pies, and bagels all made in-house. It’s a cafeteria-style format that’s become common in countries such as Japan, but has yet to fully take off here – where baked goods and sangas are typically housed behind a counter.

Although you’ll find some classic options, much of the selection at Knead is given over to more offbeat pie flavours such as beef lasagne and cheeseburger. One creation, the mac-and-cheezel, is exactly what it sounds like: a pie stuffed to the gills with elbow pasta, cheese sauce and cheezel dust. Then there are “gondolas”, Venetian-inspired focaccias with toppings like pepperoni and honey, or ricotta, spinach, and pumpkin.

The breakfast croissant is what would happen if a McMuffin took a gap year in France: it’s loaded with a sausage patty, fried egg, American cheese and barbeque sauce. Buttery pastries, sausage rolls and bagels, including one with grilled chicken and tomato relish, round out the lineup.

For coffee, Knead has teamed up with Whitehorse for a custom blend, combining beans from Brazil, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea. There’s also a selection of house-canned drinks – including iced coffee, strawberry matcha and salted chocolate milk – plus house-bottled juice blends like tropical, with orange, mango, and passionfruit; and antiox, featuring apple, raspberry, passionfruit, and rhubarb.

And for those in a rush, there’s an app and a pass-through window for pre-orders and easy pick-up.

Knead Bakehouse
3 Tramway Arcade, Rockdale

Hours
Mon to Fri 5.30am–5.30pm
Sat 7am–2.30pm

kneadbakehouse.com.au
@knead.bakehouse