Baking institution Beechworth Bakery is getting ready to celebrate four decades of business.

The story first began back in 1974 when Tom O’Toole bought the original Beechworth Bakery building. He sold it three years later only to re-buy it again in 1984, going on to significantly expand the production and baking areas.

In the intervening years the original bakery, based in the small Victorian town of Beechworth, steadily built a strong reputation for producing outstanding products.

Current managing director Marty Matasoni, who began working at the bakery when he was just 13, and said it was well-known that bakeries were hard businesses to operate.

“But to have any business in any field to operate over 40 years and still running successfully and still seeing growth is incredible,” he said.

“It’s very rare these days, but for us – we’ve got a strong connection to the community. That’s where it all stands.

“We’re there for the community and they rely on us. A bakery is as important to a community as news agents, as a supermarket, and a pub.”

To celebrate achieving such a momentous milestone, Beechworth will be closing off the town’s main street on October 19 and hosting a street festival.

Marty said this would include plenty of local produce, entertainment and kids’ activities.

“[Organising to close off the street] was a big task in itself, and we’re doing it for the whole day,” he said.

“Planning began about 12 months ago. It’s going to be a street party.”

Looking to the future, Marty said the focus would be on continuing to grow the business on all fronts.

“We’re not out there entering awards or trying to win awards. We’re just trying to create a quality and consistent product,” Marty said.

“But people and our community are always our number one [focus].”