Iconic bakery back in business

Birdsville Bakery is set to open in time for Easter after it was sold for $1.2 million on March 2 to Townsville tour operator Martin Josselyn, Nine News reported.

The town of Birdsville only has a regular population of 120 people, but attracts 40,000 to 60,000 tourists on an annual basis, many of whom travel for the Birdsville Races and Big Red Bash. In September’s race weekend, they’re expecting to sell around 15,000 pies.

When the doors open on April 1, Mr Josselyn told 9Elsewhere the iconic bakery’s famous curried camel pies will be on the menu, and they’ll continue to specialise in meals that made Birdsville Bakery famous.

Mr Josselyn is also planning to open the iconic bakery’s licenced café, the Hard Road Café, for evenings, which will feature camp oven and bistro-style dinners.

Mr Josselyn’s long-time friend Sebastian Badey will run the café, injecting a different culture into the dusty outback – far flung from Badey’s native France.

Formerly based in Townsville, Mr Josselyn has moved his 4WD tour company to Birdsville with the plan to expand the business from his base at the bakery.

The sale is reportedly the biggest investment in the region in more than a decade.