Business
1 October, 2024
Couple farewell bakery
THE much-loved Mossman Bakery is for sale after 15 years of family ownership.
In 2009 Russel and Stacey Pont were looking for a change from their real estate and journalism backgrounds and took the plunge when the former Golden Cane Bakery in Mossman came on the market.
“After 21 years in real estate I was looking at different businesses for sale and this came up, close to home where we were living in Port Douglas,” Mr Pont said.
“It was in our price range so we said ‘yeah, let’s do it’.”
Mrs Pont had travelled the world as a young pastry chef and worked at the Savoy London and QE11 cruise liner before becoming a journalist.
“I had five-star hotel experience as a pastry chef, not in a small bakery, but we were up for the challenge,” she said.
The couple quickly built up the wholesale side of the business and began supplying more than 30 resorts, restaurants, schools and tour operators.
In 2016 Mossman Bakery started entering the Great Australian Pie Competition where it won gold, silver and bronze medals.
“It can feel like you are in your own little world in Mossman sometimes, so it was nice to get to Melbourne and Sydney and see that Mossman Bakery fared well on a national stage,” Mrs Pont said.
Mossman Bakery was established in 2003 and the couple said the business remained open and strong throughout COVID although the wholesale side of the business had not fully recovered.
For the first time in its history the bakery flooded along with much of Front St in Mossman after Cyclone Jasper.
“We had between 10-15cm of water in through the back door and out the front door and, although it was devastating at the time, we were fortunate that none of the display or manufacturing equipment was damaged,” Mrs Pont said.
“We needed new flooring in the shop, resealing for the floor in the bakehouse and new paint on the walls,” he said.
“We saw it as an opportunity to do a bit of a refurbishment with some tropical theming, a new bread display and signage.
“Our local customers came rushing back to us when we reopened and they were thrilled to have their local bakery open again,” Mr Pont said.
“We actually have a lot of older customers who rely on us for a hot meal each day and a lot of school parents come in to top up breakfasts and lunches during the week,” he said.
“Mossman Bakery has been very good to us over the years, but it is time for us to bow out and for a new owner to take the business in their own direction,” he said.
The couple are prepared to train new owners if required and full current and historical accountancy figures are available. All equipment is fully owned and an inventory is available.
Contact Susan Butler at Beyond 2000 Business Sales on 0419 905 463 or visit
