Maldon Bakery’s lush outdoor area is now readily accessible due to a newly surfaced ground and there’s a special new reason to visit the garden.

Lovely flat slab tiles are now in place to ensure that people using wheelchairs and other mobility aids can safely enjoy a pie or pastry under the pomegranate tree. And a collaborative effort by the Maldon Men’s Shed and a local artist has brought the cute bakery ‘Baker’ logo to life so visitors can snap a selfie souvenir.

Men’s Shed Secretary Barry Murfett explained that four or five men were involved in different stages of making the Baker. “We were approached by Rebecca from the bakery; she sent us a digital image of the Baker. The height was dictated by one sheet of plywood,” Barry said. “We projected the digital image onto the plywood, traced it and cut it out with a jigsaw to cut the shape out, easy!” Owner Rebecca Barnett says the Baker as a symbol for the business was inspired by the logo of her grandfather’s bakery in South Australia. Now bakery fans can have a laugh by putting their face in the loaf, as shown by Alannah Bell.

And yes, if your business or community group has an innovative idea and you think volunteers at the Men’s Shed might be able to lend a hand to bring it to fruition, give Barry a call on 0403 352 753.

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 7 February 2025.