Aussie Import Bourke Street Bakery Swarmed to the Point of Almost Selling Out Yesterday

The rabid fanbase of Bourke Street Bakery certainly came out over the weekend. The first New York location of the famed Australian bakery opened in Nomad on Saturday at 7 a.m., and lines started forming as early as 8 a.m. for sausage rolls and pastries. Soon after, the staff moved the snaking crowd from inside the space to the outside sidewalk due to crowds. The crowds were similar on Sunday, too. After 3 p.m., most of the pastries were sold out.

Bourke Street’s baker and co-founder Paul Allam and Jessica Grynberg moved to New York to open the outpost at 15 East 28th St. between Fifth and Madison avenues — the first international location since the rustic bakery and cafe opened in Sydney in 2004. It’s developed a cult following in Australia for items such as those sausage rolls, ginger creme brûlée tart, and a slew of sourdough breads.

Here, Allam is milling his own flour, and new items to New York include cinnamon rolls and peanut butter-and-jelly croissants. Sandwiches, salads, and other savory fare are also available in the 50-seat cafe.

Their intention has been to make it a neighborhood cafe, the way it is at nearly a dozen locations in Sydney. But with followers like these, it may take some time before the Nomad outpost settles into that sort of groove on the weekends.

Take a look at photos here.