A HUSBAND and wife hospitality duo with two decades\u2019 industry experience are aiming to introduce Ballarat locals to new kinds of eating experiences.<\/p>\n
For the past month, Milia and Jamil Mansour have transformed 310 Sturt Street into Bagels and More, a new business with 15 different kinds of the New York-styled offerings.<\/p>\n
Having lived in the region for two years following a treechange from Melbourne to a farm in Gordon, Ms Mansour said she noticed a distinct lack of the fresh boiled breads.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not one in Ballarat,\u201d she said. \u201cI know there\u2019s a bagels bakery here but a store that specialises in all sorts of bagels.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo years ago, I had a cafe in Preston for five years. Bagels were on the menu there and they were definitely popular. People loved them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s funny, when we came here, not many people knew what a bagel was, so we\u2019d have customers coming in saying I\u2019m just looking for an egg and bacon roll.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though Ms Mansour attempted to take something of a break from hospitality following her move, she ended up working part time at a cafe at Ballan and said she missed the human interaction that comes with the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou make a personal connection with your customers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get to know them. They become friends. They don\u2019t just become someone who\u2019s supporting a business.\u201d<\/p>\n
As well as opening up the back courtyard at Bagels and More, Ms Mansour said she also hopes to set up a community pantry for people to sell produce out of, which she previously did at her Preston business.<\/p>\n
The \u201cAnd More\u201d portion of the business\u2019 title is set to be realised also, with items like Middle Eastern pastries to be introduced, in keeping with Mr Mansour\u2019s Lebanese background.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe migrated here when he was 23 years old,\u201d Ms Mansour said. \u201cWe\u2019ve often brought that culture into what we deliver. His mum taught me heaps about cooking Lebanese food.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiddle Eastern food is amazing and again we\u2019ve found in Ballarat there\u2019s not much here. Even our avocado smash has zaatar on it so we\u2019re introducing it in little bits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to bring more stuff in over time that you can get in Melbourne but that\u2019s missing in Ballarat.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A HUSBAND and wife hospitality duo with two decades\u2019 industry experience are aiming to introduce Ballarat locals to new kinds of eating experiences. For the past month, Milia and Jamil Mansour have transformed 310 Sturt Street into Bagels and More, a new business with 15 different kinds of the New York-styled offerings. Having lived in […]<\/p>\n