Bendigo's Bluebird Patisserie to close doors after three years

Owner and pastry chef Mynette Richardson said after 36 years of being in the industry, 20 as an employer, it was time to get a bit of a rest, cut back some hours and spend more time with her family.

"It was a very hard decision to make," she said.

"I've absolutely loved every minute of being an employer, obviously the last three or four years has been unbelievably challenging.

"It's kind of nice to go out on our terms and how we want to see the next 10 or so years of our journey as a family and just enjoy that."

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Richardson opened the store on September 1, 2020, while also running Cafe Essence, which was sold last year.

Bluebird Patisserie quickly became a much loved place to get handcrafted desserts and cakes, with recipes honed by Richardson.

The store would be open for one last time on Saturday, 30 September and Richardson said she expected to see a lot of regular customers, and a lot of tears.

"I've had a lot of people through the door since we announced it, so I've literally been crying for about two weeks," she said.

"You don't realize how many people you've got to know over that journey and how much you're going to be missed. They will be pleased to know that I'll pop up at a few different gigs around town."

Earlier this year, Richardson joined nine other chefs, bakers and chocolatiers to form the Sweet Sisters of Central Victoria, which she said would host its second showcase of desserts at the end of October.

"We're very fortunate in Bendigo, we have some really passionate chefs, pastry chefs and cooks in general that absolutely love what they do," she said.

"It's a great group of women who are very passionate."

The first showcase sold out within in a couple of hours and they "couldn't fit everyone in the door, so we're going from a much better venue this time, much bigger".

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Richardson said the group formed part of Bendigo's status as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

"It's just nice to get together and support one another after such absolute turmoil of three years not knowing if you're going to survive," she said.

"I think that's what really brought us all closer together, to be perfectly honest, out of adversity into success."

Before closing up shop, Richardson said she wanted to thank Bendigo for its support., especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We've met some incredible people along the journey, and some of them would go on to be lifelong friends."

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