It’s all quality at Two Tins Patisserie

Tanja and Rachael Duncan are the mother and daughter baking duo behind Bellarine-based bakery Two Tins Patisserie, a business that operates with family, local produce, and quality baking as its key ingredients.

Tanja started Two Tins Patisserie in February last year and her 26-year-old daughter Rachael joined a few months later.

For both Tanja and Rachael, launching Two Tins Patisserie was the symbolic spark they needed to reignite their passion for quality baking.

Before starting the business Tanja worked as an assistant chef, researching recipes in Melbourne, waking up to leave for the city at 4am and getting back in the dark.

So, Tanja and her husband decided to bring the business home to the Bellarine.

“We pulled out our garage and we built a commercial kitchen,” Tanja said.

“We just hit the ground running really. We’re constantly getting messaged on Instagram from people wanting cakes or pastries now.”

Like any small business, the first few months were tough, Tanja and Rachael said, when they were selling baked goods at markets, baking to order and asking cafes to stock their products.

But now, the business is quickly growing.

“Originally, I took out about a dozen boxes to cafés to see if they wanted wholesale, but only one person took me up,” Tanja said.

“Now, a year later, most of them don’t realise it but they’ve been in touch with me wanting me to be their wholesaler.”

The duo have a passion for pastries, local produce, and quality made-from-scratch food – and they plan to keep it that way.

“Rachael and I, we make everything from scratch. All our pastries, all our caramels and our jams, we make everything. I don’t just go and open up a jar of jam,” Tanja said.

“We currently have four different caramels that we’re using and I’m just looking at two other recipes now.

“For me, it’s really important that everyone knows what’s in the food. There’s no preservatives, no additives.

“We try to only buy local, and we try really hard to be fair, and keep our prices down even while ingredient prices are going up.

“I know it sounds silly, but it feels like the only way we can give back to the community… as time goes on there are a few things we would like to do.”

For Rachael, working with her mother at Two Tins Patisserie has also reignited her spark for baking, years after she gave up on the dream.

“I had a serious car accident that took that away for me, but then mum was doing this and I kept helping her out and I sort of found my passion for it again and got back on board,” Rachael said.

“I work six days a week with mum now, we work quite well together.”

Tanja said the business would not be as successful as it was without Rachael.

“And outside work we try to set time aside for our relationship so it’s not all work,” she said.

“We’re very big on family time so we keep that separate from work.”

And Two Tins Patisserie is very much a family business.

“I have three daughters and two sons, my two sons don’t live in Geelong but my daughters do. And I have three granddaughters, aged seven, five and six months,” Tanja said.

“They all seem to enjoy cooking and I know my granddaughters have developed into being croissant snobs, they went to a café recently and asked their mum if they could come to my house and pick up ours because they’re better.

“It’s gorgeous, I love it.

“I always say if you can get a child to eat something and love it you’ve won.”

Rachael’s partner is also very involved in the business, so long as it means trying the recipes.

“He’s very supportive, and tries all of the products for us.”

Looking forward, Tanja and Rachael are planning to open a bakery by mid-September.

“We’re quite a little team at this point. We’re actually just fitting out the shop that’s going to be in Pakington Street.