Queen Baker: QVM’s only dedicated cake shop

As the only cake offering at Queen Victoria Market (QVM), Queen Baker is your go-to store for all things pastry – savoury and sweet. 

Established 16 years ago by head baker Claire, the Queen Baker brand started at their flagship store in Essendon as largely a commercial cake kitchen.

But as their success grew, so did the demand for a “physical presence” where customers could come and enjoy one of Claire’s delicious, sweet treats in-store.

“I started working with Claire about three years ago, and we started thinking about returning to a ‘face’ of Queen Baker in the form of a shopfront,” co-owner Tom said.

“We started a search around the CBD of Melbourne, and eventually set up with QVM. It’s a bit of a new phase of the business, because at the core, Queen Baker is still custom-made cakes.”

“Now, we’re looking at the savoury and bakery component as well, that’s why we’ve gone in business together at QVM and created this boutique-style, mini cake and sweet shop.”

The Queen Baker team initially enquired at QVM for a spot to launch its new location, but didn’t hear back at first. 

As the search progressed, with no luck in sight, Claire made another enquiry with the market and was eventually approved for the space, in what Tom describes as a “full circle” moment.

While Claire handles the baking side of the business as a qualified pastry chef, Tom’s background is in business management and administration.

The menu at Queen Baker changes daily, however their sticky date pudding and traditional New York cheesecake remain as staples.

“You meet so many different people from across the world here, it’s great to hear all their stories,” Tom told CBD News.

Some tourists have never seen a lamington before in their life, I like sharing a bit of that Australian culture with them.

Despite Tom’s administrative duties, he also enjoys getting to express his creative side through the business, with Queen Baker offering a variety of iced teas to accompany a customer’s experience at the store.

“We’ve tried to push the tea component of the store above coffee – I get excited about being creative with flavours,” he said.

“We opened just before Christmas, so we’re still a fresh, new store. People seem like they are quite wowed by us – they know now that there’s a dedicated cake shop at QVM.” •