Our Story
Bells Bakery has been part of the Torquay community since 1999, but Samantha’s passion for cooking began long before she walked through its doors.
While still at high school, Samantha was part of a team that won an Australia-wide cooking competition. By the age of 16, she was already well on her way toward becoming a chef, although she soon decided the traditional restaurant kitchen was not the path for her.
She went on to spend 13 years working at Maid Marion’s in Anglesea, where Bells Bakery supplied the bread, pies and cakes. In January 2000, the owner of Bells convinced Samantha to come aboard with the promise of better pay and a lighter workload. Within a month, she was managing the bakery.
After Bells changed hands, Samantha was eventually given the opportunity to make the bakery her own. In September 2005, she took the leap and became its owner.
Since then, Samantha and her team have seen just about everything. In 2013, the bakery was devastated by a fire over the Easter weekend. After months of rebuilding, Bells reopened its doors in early 2014. The bakery later faced the challenges of the COVID shutdowns, once again emerging with the support of its loyal staff and customers.
That loyalty is at the heart of Bells Bakery. Bakers Damien and Iris have each been part of the team for more than a decade, while many casual staff have joined as teenagers and stayed throughout their university years.
Some customers have been visiting Bells for so long that Samantha now serves their children and grandchildren. Alongside those familiar faces, the bakery continues to welcome new locals and visitors discovering Torquay for the first time.
Samantha still loves experimenting in the kitchen and bringing new ideas to life. Customers regularly suggest flavours or creations, and she enjoys seeing what the team can dream up, because life is too short for boring food.
Whether you are stopping in for a freshly baked pie, a sweet treat, a coffee or something new, you will always find friendly faces, local history and plenty of heart at Bells Bakery.