Vandels

THE VERDICT

There’s a touch of rock ‘n’ roll to Brunswick’s Vandels bakery. Chef Shaun Quade and partner Veronica Fil were the original founders of former fine diner Lume in 2015, but Vandals is keeping it fun, not fussy.

Quade, who developed products for Mörk bakery, has scaled back from ‘precious’ fine dining to pastries that are balanced, delicious and keep locals coming back. Cheffy twists are subtle, like ‘Malted & Salted’ choc chip cookies with malted barley flour from Tuerong Farm and sourdough starter, for flavour and fudgy texture. Glossy coffee and cardamom buns use Tuerong’s soft red wheat, and handmade loaves use strong Hellfire flour. Viennoiserie made with Lard Ass Butter is rolled into signature croissants, like the Beesting, a country bakery classic meets almond croissant, and ham and cheese with Salt Kitchen ham, Kongwak cheese from Gippsland with native pepperberries, charred negi onions and leatherwood honey. That crisp pastry holds seasonal danishes or tarts, golden pork and fennel sausage rolls and sits atop shortcrust-base savoury pies, served with smoked tomato sauce. No daytime mixology or viral drinks, just great coffee by Duke’s, Prana Chai and Mörk hot chocolate, with sodas from Mateo, Sippi and Strangelove.

After a stint working in LA’s startup culture, Brunswick’s alternative community was the perfect
place to land. With Vandels, they want to stay small, do it well, and focus on what locals like—Fil’s got a keen eye for consumer desires. The interior design inspo is their living room: warm 70s tones of dusty orange, exposed brick and brown tiles with houseplants from home arranged in mismatched pots beneath vintage speakers. Almost all the decor was found preloved, and they did the entire fitout themselves, from staining wood to plastering the bathroom with dive-bar-style music and film posters (possibly Melbourne’s coolest toilet). Bring your dog, grab a bun, hang out on the couch or dining table, you’ll feel right at home.