Drama. Action. Performance. These aren’t words that usually spring to mind when you picture a bakery. But Lune Croissanterie’s Sydney flagship, which finally opened today after a five-year gestation, has no interest in being ordinary.

“Hospitality is the most important thing in my life,” says Lune co-owner Kate Reid. “It’s not just about the best croissant, it’s about providing an exceptional experience – that’s the difference between Lune and a standard bakery."

It’s why the bakery is inside a cavernous 400-square-metre former warehouse, in Rosebery’s Engine Yards Precinct. And it’s why the bakers aren’t sequestered out of sight at the back of the house – they are the house. What’s likely the most hyped bakery opening in Sydney history is upon us at last. And it’s every bit as grand as Reid was hoping it would be.

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Reid calls her bakers “croissant chefs” who perform “pastry theatre” and she’s given them a stage befitting their status as the stars of the Lune show: a six-by-six metre glass cube, temperature-controlled to 18 degrees – the perfect temperature for baking croissants.

“There’ll be up to eight chefs in crisp white jackets crafting croissants in front of the customers,” says Reid. “You can walk around all sides of the cube to observe, and there are 10 stools to sit and watch, plus banquette seating around the room.”

This all-day, baking-as-live-performance arrangement means that unlike many bakeries, where bakers come in and do their thing under the cloak of darkness, leaving their pastries behind to be sold throughout the day, Lune has a constant supply of hot, fresh, baked goods available at all times. And it needs it. In Melbourne alone, Lune bakes and sells 35,000 croissants. Reid is hoping to do similar, or even better, numbers in Sydney.

Given that Lune has a history of attracting serpentine queues and busloads of pastry fans, both domestic and international, that’s not a far-fetched proposition. Even this morning's soggy weather couldn't dampen the crowds (or their willingness to wait in line). Lune fans have wanted one in Sydney for over a decade now. And since its announcement nearly five years ago, Reid and business partner (and brother) Cam have had to contend with a pandemic, a location change, delays, another location change, more delays and one final location change.

But all that waiting is finally paying off for Sydneysiders. In addition to the Rosebery flagship, a second Lune location – a stylish satellite shop inside the Martin Place metro station – is ready to open any day now.

The Rosebery menu has all the Lune hits – sweet croissants, ham and cheese croissants, pain au chocolat, danishes, kouign-amanns, morning buns, and more. Plus, good strong coffee to cut through all those full-fat flavours.

For the uninitiated, the classic plain croissant is the benchmark pastry. “The traditional is my ride or die. It’s the perfect experience for me: I never feel full, but I’m really satisfied,” says Reid.

What started off as a one-woman show in a little shop in bayside Melbourne in 2012 is now a multi-location operation that spans the east coast, whose pastries boast legions of admirers from around the world. So much of that success comes down to Reid’s famous fastidiousness and rock-solid sense of what Lune is. But the expansion means Reid is now facing a new challenge: learning to delegate.

“Letting go is the hardest thing I’ve ever done professionally – at times I’ve felt disconnected, wondering what my place is at Lune” Reid says. “It blows my mind, the number of people that work on Lune, who contribute and innovate.”

So the first Sydney-baked Lune croissant, over a decade in the making, wasn’t made by Reid. That honour was given to head chef James Clarke. “It was an emotional moment,” says Reid. It more than lived up to Reid’s exacting standards.

Now the doors are open, all that’s left to do is see what Sydney thinks. If the story so far is any indication, Rosebery is going to be a smashing success.

Lune Rosebery
115/151 Dunning Ave, Rosebery (Entry via Mentmore Ave)

Hours
Mon to Fri 7.30am–3pm
Sat to Sun 8am–3pm

lunecroissanterie.com
@lunecroissant