About Our Bakery...
When my father arrived in Australia in 1982, he was one of the very first bakers to introduce Sourdough breads to Melbourne. His goal was to bake a tasty, top-quality, healthy loaf of bread and make it available at a price that was affordable for everyone. His father baked breads and rolls for the local community in Holland during World War II and his father before him, baked breads for the stricken population rebuilding in the weeks after the First World War.
My family has been baking delicious breads and cakes – and serving local communities – for more than 100 years, across two continents.
Driven by what always inspired my forefathers’ ambitions and drawing on the experience of four generations of baking delicious breads, cakes and pastries, it is my goal to provide the community with an exceptional product, and to make these breads, cakes and other delicious products affordable for everyone.
A loaf of bread is a symbol of basic community spirit – whether referenced in religious texts thousands of years ago or heard in the desperate cries of hunger in war-torn countries a hundred years before or desired by mums and dads today to provide for their children in tough economic times – great bread should be available and enjoyed by everyone.
Reinier Krol
Owner, Head Baker
About Our Products...
Krol Family Bakery is making the same products that it was baking 40 years ago, when Melbourne was first introduced to its sourdough breads through my father, Jan Krol. His recipes were handed down to me (as those same recipes were passed down to him from his father). Krol Family Bakery make the same delicious fruit loaf, packed with 80% fruit (apricots, dates, sultanas, currants); the same rye sourdough, the same healthy 100% wholemeal Allinsen loaf; the same beautiful white viennas and tiger breads; the same traditional Dutch fruit buns (“Hollandse Krentenbolen”) and so much more.
All our breads are baked on the premises on a beautiful stone-base oven and are free of preservatives, bread improvers, additives and other chemicals.
We use a 78-year-old Sourdough starter, passed down from generation to generation, and pride ourselves on sourcing only the best ingredients for all our products. So many bakeries, these days, use pre-mixes and ready-made-products. At Krol Bakery, we believe that customers deserve products made from scratch, with the best natural ingredients and without all the chemicals so readily used by many other bakeries today.
As featured on SBS World News (August 2024)
About Us...
Krol Family Bakery is owned and operated by Reinier Krol and Rachel Grove.
Reinier first worked in his father’s bakery during school holidays and, after finishing high school, became a full-time baker at Krol Redmill Bakery. After a number of years, Reinier left the bakery to pursue a career in film and television production, running a modestly successful business for many years… but in his heart, it always felt like there was something missing – that there was a different place Reinier needed to be.
When Reinier’s father, Jan, passed away in 2022, those conflicted feelings intensified and continued to bubble away. In 2023, Reinier made his father’s famous Sourdough Fruitloaf at home – remembering the recipe from all those years ago. It was delicious! A white vienna followed. Then, Allinsen bread. Finally, Reinier made his father’s sourdough. A wave of mixed emotions followed. How exciting to make these delicious breads after so many years and yet, Jan was no longer there to be part of it.
As a fourth-generation baker, Reinier Krol returned to baking and restarted his father’s dream, now aptly as “Krol Family Bakery” in Camberwell.
Rachel is a qualified lawyer, self-taught artist and founder of Rachel Grove Art Studio. Her own artistic journey began in 2021 during the challenging times of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Seeking a creative outlet, she discovered the joy of painting. What started as a personal endeavor soon transformed into a means of spreading joy to her loved ones.
Rachel took a leap of faith and began showcasing and selling my pieces at local markets across Melbourne in 2022. From Williamstown to St Kilda, Queen Victoria Market to Red Hill, Berwick to Fitzroy, her artwork found its way into the hearts of art enthusiasts throughout the city. As the business grew, Rachel started receiving requests for commissioned artworks from individuals around the world, spanning continents from the USA to Singapore.
Rachel now divides her time between her art studio (next door to the bakery) and running the retail bakery shop, connecting with the many customers we now consider friends and family, and sharing her beautiful spirit with the many customers that visit Krol Family Bakery every day.
The fruit loaf is absolutely loaded full of fruit and tastes divine! Perfect fresh, toasted with some butter and great for a charcuterie board.
Brynie Ladds