Irrewarra Sourdough is thrilled to announce that it has obtained planning permission to build a new bakery on its original site in rural Irrewarra, adjacent to the 1880s stables where the bakery was established by founders John and Bronwynne Calvert in 2000.

The bakery soon outgrew the stables and a second bakery facility in nearby Colac East started in 2006. The new bakery will allow the business to move all operations back to the original Irrewarra site.

The stables are one of the many historic rural buildings throughout the Irrewarra district which were once all part of the Irrewarra Pastoral Station established in 1842. The proposed 2000-square-metre bakery, with public tasting area, has been designed by Sydney heritage architects Clive Lucas Stapleton to co-exist with the rural landscape.

The bakery will also open for tastings, allowing Irrewarra customers and visitors to The Great Ocean Road hinterland to see firsthand sourdough baking by Irrewarra’s team of artisan bakers. Visitors will taste Irrewarra’s famous sourdough breads warm from the oven with local cheese, produce and Irrewarra wines.

Included in the plans for the historic site is the restoration of the original kitchen garden and the completion of the restoration of the horse stalls in the stables. Construction of the bakery is planned to start in early 2017 and the Calvert family and staff look forward to welcoming all their customers to Irrewarra in late 2019.