Edith and Rose
Editorial
Tucked away in South Coogee is a little cake shop whose name is being murmured in schoolyards, kitchens, and pressrooms all over Sydney. Edith and Rose is a self-proclaimed “old fashioned cake shop” on Malabar Road. The decor is indeed retro in the way of a 1950s milk bar, and a cup of tea comes in a floral china cup and saucer set that you're sure your grandmother owned the twin of. Grandmas are important to this institution; the bakery is named for pastry chef and owner Michael Hughes' two grandmothers. Both Edith and Rose had a weakness for sweets and used to bake their own cakes, puddings and desserts. At family gatherings the last course was always the major affair of a meal, and both women encouraged Hughes to pursue a career in cookery. After 25 years in the business, this is his first solo venture.
Sensing a lack of good cake shops, Hughes decided to move away from the French patisserie model and opened a good old Aussie cake shop - minus the lamingtons. The feel of Edith and Rose is definitely old world, like everything is homemade with love. However, Hughes is not lagging behind in the food scene. At the shop you can sit down for a Numero Uno coffee, Punjabi Chai or Turkish apple tea. Savoury pies from Bullus Brothers are hearty, quality stuff. But the drawing card is really the cakes, tarts, cupcakes, brownies and biscuits that Hughes makes every day. These are items that will weigh on your mind once you've tried them; and while I'm visiting a lady comes in for her third vanilla milkshake cake of the day. And although everyone has their own sweet-toothed vice, here's a tip: Michael's wife Patricia married him for his banana cream pie.
Sarah Theeboom, July 2007
User Feedback
Your Feedback
0 User review (add yours)