Hungie Fangs owners Lina Galati and Damien Gow in their new store.
Photo by
Abby Green
More than 100 people lined up outside Cobram’s beloved Hungie Fangs Artisan Bakery as it opened the doors to its new home at 46 High St on Saturday, October 24.
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After 10 years at 12 William St, the bakery celebrated the move with a ribbon cutting, speeches and goodie bags, with eager locals lining up as early as 7am — two hours before opening.
Owner Damien Gow said seeing such a large crowd gathered outside was “overwhelming”.
“It was so incredible to open that door and see that many people out there ― very humbling, and I was very emotional,” he said.
“It’s a credit to the whole Hungie Fangs team. Each one of our bakers and pastry cooks are very passionate about the industry and what they put out in those cabinets.
“I can’t thank my team enough, I really can’t ― we’re community-based, and we’re one big family.”
Hungie Fangs Artisian Bakery’s new location is at 46 High St.
Photo by
Abby Green
Co-owner Lina Galati said the support from the local community had been “outstanding”.
“Our locals that just keep on coming back, it’s lovely to see all those familiar faces and our employees, they do an amazing job, they’re always there when we need them,” she said.
Damien said the building had been stripped back, with even the roof replaced, and thanked the local tradespeople for helping bring the project to life.
“We wouldn’t be here today without the tradesmen that we had,” he said.
“It’s been a really great experience for us and a real pleasure of a process to work with such talented tradies.”
The move has been life-changing for the business, with double the space, increased production capacity and more room for customers to sit and enjoy their delicious treats.
“The old shop could only sit four people inside, now we can sit 20 people, so that makes a big difference,” Damien said.
“We’ve also got all this beautiful outdoor dining now, so that’s going to really capitalise and be a great community feature for catch-ups, meetings and whatever else.”
Hungie Fangs owner Lina Galati and electrician Liam Gilmore, who worked on the new shop, with ‘Petey Pie’ at the bakery’s grand re-opening.
Photo by
Abby Green
The additional space has also allowed the bakery to invest in more equipment, including a second oven, which Damien described as an “absolute godsend”.
The extra oven will increase production capacity and allow the bakers to start their shifts later in the morning, rather than in the middle of the night.
Among the special guests at the opening were two of Damien’s former mentors, including one who has known him since his apprenticeship and travelled all the way from the Queensland border to attend.
The reopening marks another milestone for the award-winning bakery, which took home the title of Australia's Best Vanilla Slice earlier this year.
As they begin this new chapter, Lina and Damien thanked everyone who had helped and supported them along the way, describing the experience as “very special”.
“It’s been incredible and very overwhelming, and now we’re full steam ahead and flying,” Damien said.
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