Local Glen Innes business and cultural institution Smeatons Bakery changed hands last week, with previous owners Phillip and Eileen Halloran hanging up their aprons after more than thirty-five years of faithfully serving the community. On their very last day of trading the Hallorans faced a thunderous applause from the skies above – an applause sadly accompanied by damaging winds, rain and hail.
Up to four inches of rain and hail the size of golf balls fell on Glen Innes that day, damaging many places of residence and business.
New owners Cindy and Owen Nguyen were to be handed the keys to their bakery dream with a damaged roof, ceiling and two ovens inside.
The Nguyens had relocated to Glen Innes a mere month beforehand, with crispy visions of opening their own Vietnamese bakery after decades of working in a friend’s Newcastle bakery. Market research identified Glen Innes was right in the middle of a veritable Vietnamese desert: Neither the town nor its neighbours Tenterfield or Armidale offered Vietnamese options.
“We wanted to bring something new to Glen Innes, and after years of working in similar bakeries on the coast we were ready to make the move inland and start building that reality,” said Cindy.
“My husband is a baker, so he takes care of the cakes and I take care of the customers.”
Smeatons going on the market was like a sign from God that a country move was on the cards for the Nguyens.
Unfortunately for the Nguyens, aside from signs the ‘almighty one’ also offers tests. Tests which can beat holes into your tin roof, routing water through your ceilings and onto your newly acquired industrial ovens, which is exactly what happened to the Nguyens mere days before they opened the doors to their bakery for the first time.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Cindy and Owen embodied the country idea that “sometimes you just need to do things yourself” and over that weekend the Nguyens patched the roof and ceilings themselves, ready to swing into business the following Monday.
According to Cindy, their biggest challenge now is “learning the till buttons” as the family comes to terms with the day to day of running a popular small town bakery. Thankfully the Ngyuens have retained the staff from the previous owners: a huge boon to the day to day running of the business, and according to Cindy “they’re all excellent staff and good to have around.”
For the Glen Innes locals and Smeatons regulars, Cindy wishes to assure all the usual Smeatons fare remains available- meat pies, sausage rolls and tarts, slices and baked goods will continue to grace the menu.
For the more adventurous locals, crispy Vietnamese Banh Mi roast pork rolls and succulent rice paper rolls are now available.
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