Self-taught bakers Ryan and Seren Chu opened Chu Bakery, opposite Perth’s Hyde Park, as a place for locals to meet up over coffee and pastries.
What’s Chu Bakery all about, guys?
Ryan: Seren and I always dreamed of having a little residential bakery that was a meeting place for everyone in the area. We both work in the kitchen baking nutritious stone-ground sourdough bread and beautiful light pastries, such as our pistachio millefeuille and salted caramel lamington.
Have you always been bakers?
Seren: We’re both self-taught. I used to work in retail and admin, and Ryan was an urban planner.
What inspired the career change?
Ryan: We were travelling the world eating beautiful breads and pastries – mainly in Tokyo and Osaka – and we decided that we wanted to start making them ourselves. There was a lot of trial and error and persistence until we eventually created recipes that we were happy with.
Chu Bakery’s almond croissant and eclair
What’s your biggest seller?
Seren: If you’re talking about what’s Instagrammed the most, definitely the matcha choux puff and the Boston cream doughnut. Our open sandwiches are really popular, too – avocado with whipped feta, sriracha and toasted seeds trumps all other toast toppings by far.
Chu Bakery, 498 William St, Highgate, WA, (08) 9328 4740.
