From competing on the world stage as an apprentice to working side-by-side with his family at their Nowra-based bakery, John Reminis has spent decades dedicating his life to the industry he loves.  

Since he was a small child, John Reminis always knew his future always lay in baking.

Born and bred on the New South Wales South Coast at Nowra, his father, John Snr, and mother, Sandra, owned Gerringong Bakery with a total of 11 shops. It was because of this that John’s early years were filled with memories of baking, and of walking up to visit the factory behind their house with his father.

It was here, while watching on as the bakers got to work, that John said his love for baking first started.

“I remember the fresh bread smells, the hum of activity of the nightshift, of all the bakers arriving and the busy factory environment with so much happening once production started for the shift,” John said.

“Dad’s passion for the art of baking is something that has been such a strong influence on my life and this path I have chosen to go down.”

John at work with his father, John Snr, and his brother, Jeff

Learning the ropes

By the time he was 15, John had started a school-based apprenticeship but, as he became increasingly disinterested with school his mother issued a challenge: if he wanted to leave school early to pursue a career in baking then he’d have to work right throughout the Christmas holidays.

At the time John was at the start of year 11, and said he believes she may have been trying to deter him. However, although the hours were long and the work was demanding, at the end of that period he knew one thing for sure – baking was for him.

“Baking is hard work with the hours and the physical nature and just learning so much all at once, especially during the summer holidays as a 15-year-old and having to compromise on all the freedoms of balancing fun and work,” he said.

“They sure tested me throughout this period but by the end of the holidays I decided this is for me and I began the school-aged apprenticeship. I haven’t looked back since then.”

John completed his apprenticeship at TAFE NSW, which included both on-the-job learning and a practical and theory component that took place at the Wollongong TAFE campus, and described the four-year process as a tricky one, mainly due to having to balance the study with adjusting to night shift and the work itself. However, it’s also an experience he describes as being incredibly important in supporting his overall learning of the craft.

And, it can’t be denied, John was excelling in his chosen field. By the time he was 22 he already had a number of international competitions under his belt including representing Asia Pacific at the 2016 Baking World Cup (Coupe de Monde) in France, as well as competing for Australia in the Louis Lesaffre Cup in Indonesia.

More recently, this interest in competitions has translated into mentorship roles for other up-and-coming bakers, including in 2022 when John travelled to Switzerland with apprentice Rachel Crawford for WorldSkills. Rachel ultimately placed fourth in the baking category.

“That was such an incredible opportunity for both of us,” John said.

“In recent months I travelled to Brisbane mentoring one of our bakers who competed in WorldSkills and got silver. It was amazing seeing the growth and confidence in him after taking the time to put himself out of his comfort zone, just as I did, and really back himself and dedicate himself to growing his trade.

“In the last few years I was even back in France, again mentoring for WorldSkills. It really is remarkable where competing has taken me on my journey from starting as the bakery apprentice in little old Nowra.”

Despite his success, John is adamant competing on a national – and global – stage didn’t come naturally to him, and at times it also added elements of intense pressure. Nevertheless, John said the professional growth that came hand -in-hand with competitions was hard to match.

“In the beginning competing certainly wasn’t a natural experience, with the timed competitions, rules, time commitment of practicing and assessments. It can certainly add elements of pressure that your day-to-day work doesn’t hold,” he said.

“However, in reflecting all of that, I feel so lucky that with the right support and pushing myself out of my comfort zone towards growth I really have been able to experience some incredible moments in my career, which have been absolute highlights.”

John at work

In addition to mentorship John also now also lends his experience to competitive baking locally by regularly offering up his time to judge both state and national baking competitions, bread shows as well as Australia’s Best Pie competition.

It’s these competitions, he said, that offer him the chance to connect with some of the country’s biggest and brightest bakers and to also put back in the industry that has supported him.

“I’m extremely grateful to those who came before me and invested the time and patience in supporting my journey with competing, so it feels only right to give back and support those who are coming up in the industry,” he said.

“I believe we have some of the best bakers in the world, and you need the next generation of young bakers to feel that support and encouragement too.”

The family business

Throughout all of this John has remained at his family’s bakery, Bakehouse Delights, and can be found working daily night shifts – a role he balances with managing the business alongside his brother Jeff, while his aunt Mary, another uncle and a sister also regularly help out.

It’s a set-up John describes as being fairly unique.

“I feel lucky every day to work in a field I still feel so passionately about alongside such great people,” he said.

“The bakery now consists of three shops and significant wholesale. I still love that family environment, baking alongside my dad – although slightly less now as time goes on – and still enjoying that hum of activity on a nightshift… the commitment to putting up high quality products and, of course, enjoying that beautiful fresh bread smell.”

Looking to the future John said although he would love to one day compete for Australia internationally again, and has his eye on the Coupe du Monde, he was also striving to find a bit more work-life balance in his days.

“I want to achieve some balance between demanding work schedules and personal life, which I feels helps to fuel longevity in this industry. This [stepping back] would also pave the way for other bakers to benefit from stepping into that mentor role too,” he said.

“But I know myself and I can’t stay away for long, as I really am passionate about giving back and investing in young bakers in the same way that I was lucky to have.”