A young Melbourne couple has recently had all of their dreams made when they successfully raised enough money on Kickstarter to open the bakery they always wanted, Iris, named after their nine-month old daughter.

Tom Edwards and Betty Milner took to the crowdfunding platform after not being able to fund the project themselves, and it has proved successful. Although the Kickstarter is set to close this coming Sunday, the pair have already exceeded their goal of $55,000. At the time of writing, the fund is just shy of $56,000, meaning that the couple is well on their way to their dream

“Both of us are very private people,” Tom told Broadsheet.

“And you’re basically announcing to the world that you’re broke—and your idea is worth supporting.”

But the couple weren’t asking for financial backing without having the goods to prove their worth. Both have spent long years working in the hospitality industry, with Tom carrying top-quality baking credentials and Betty backing it up with her vast knowledge of and experience working front of house around the world.

Tom and Betty travelled widely before settling in Melbourne and deciding to open Iris. This travel has given them knowledge that they will bring to the bakery once it opens.

Tom’s intention is to serve up sourdough baked using a specific bread-making technique that he picked up in Copenhagen, which involves an overnight cold fermentation process that the pair believes produces a loaf that is the perfect marriage of texture and flavour.

Tom and Betty are keen to start a bakery that will become part of the community in Brunswick, where they have a lease on hold, simply waiting for the Kickstarter money to get going.

Tom said, “We want the community that has supported us to have a sense of ownership over [it]. To feel like they helped make it happen, to feel like it’s theirs as well.”