Septuagenarian Dave Clarke has formally qualified as a baker at Bendigo's The Good Loaf Sourdough Bakery and Café after a lifetime of love for his passion.
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The 71-year-old has always baked as a hobby, but wanted to learn and improve his skills - ultimately taking him to Shepparton TAFE.
"I just became obsessed with bread really - the alchemy of it, the science," Mr Clarke said.
"I built my own oven at home and it just grew from there."
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The Good Loaf owner and Dave's brother-in-law Laurie Whelan was "good enough" to give the apprentice a spot in his team and the rest is history.
Go TAFE trainer Kim Banfield signed off the former construction worker's apprenticeship saying Mr Clarke was a terrific addition to the classroom.
"He's very honest and trustworthy, he turns up on time and he was just so dedicated to his training," Mr Banfield said.
"All of his written work and the knowledge was being tested and he really expressed that through his training.
"In the classroom, he was just a pleasure to have around."
It may have been Mr Clarke's second apprenticeship, his first being in carpentry, but that doesn't mean it was a walk in the park.
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"It's a bit more difficult as far as the schoolwork goes - I don't learn as quick as younger people," Mr Clarke said.
"But it's great fun working with younger people - lots of enthusiasm and energy.
"All the practical stuff is done at The Good Loaf and they fine tune it at TAFE."
Mr Clarke studied at Shepparton TAFE prior to the recent Bendigo TAFE renovations but did live in Bendigo for his time with The Good Loaf. He has now moved to north-eastern Victoria but will certainly continue baking.
"I'm not planning to start a bakery, that sounds too much like hard work," Mr Clarke said.
"I just wanted to improve and it was a challenge."
He thanked his brother-in-law for helping him on his baking journey, and his "long-suffering" wife Doreen for supporting his idiosyncrasies - including midnight baking.
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Lucy Williams
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
