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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Retirees embrace 3:30 AM starts and 14-hour shifts at remote Australian bakery

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Retiree Kerry Storer volunteers for 14-hour shifts, starting at 3:30 AM, at a remote underground bakery in South Australia.
  • Storer has been making the 1,000-kilometer trek annually for 15 years to bake in traditional wood-fired ovens.
  • The bakery's profits fund the preservation of historic buildings in the township of Farina, which is largely abandoned.

In the South Australian outback, retiree Kerry Storer begins his day long before sunrise, rising at 3:30 AM for a demanding 14-hour shift. For the past 15 years, Storer has dedicated two months annually to volunteering at Farina's famous underground bakery, a journey of over 1,000 kilometers.

Storer, a former professional baker, rekindled his passion for traditional wood-fired ovens, a stark contrast to modern conventional ovens. His career began at 18, and his love for baking breads, pies, and pastries led him to Farina in 2011. The town, located 600km north of Adelaide and officially abandoned in the 1980s, comes alive for two months each year, June and July, when a team of retirees descends into the historic subterranean bakery.

I've always had a passion for baking bread products in a wood-fired oven. It's just so different to the conventional ovens today.

— Kerry StorerExplaining his dedication to traditional baking methods.

Preparing the underground ovens is a meticulous process, taking about a week to gradually bring them to the correct temperature without damaging their aging structure. Once heated, volunteers maintain the fires and stoke them throughout the eight-week season. Storer, now the head baker, leads a team of volunteers, many of whom lack extensive baking experience. He efficiently organizes them into a "well-oiled baking team," with some preparations also occurring in the upstairs kitchen.

The profits generated from the bakery's goods directly fund the preservation efforts for the early-settler buildings scattered throughout Farina. Storer looks forward to this annual commitment, not only for the baking but also for the camaraderie with fellow volunteers. "I was asked [if I] would want to go to Farina and help bake, and I said, 'Where's Farina?'" he recalled with a laugh, highlighting the remote and unique nature of this outback endeavor.

I was asked [if I] would want to go to Farina and help bake, and I said, 'Where's Farina?'

— Kerry StorerRecounting his initial reaction to the volunteer opportunity.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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