Brunetti is an iconic Melbourne institution renowned for its exquisite cakes, pastries, coffee, and authentic Italian cuisine. What began as a humble cake shop in 1956 has evolved into a culinary empire with multiple locations across Melbourne, an online store, and even international franchise outlets. In this article, we’ll trace Brunetti’s rich history, growth over the decades, one-of-a-kind dining experience, and signature creations that have made it a treasured part of the city’s food culture.
The Origins of Brunetti in Melbourne
The Founding Family and The Vision
The Brunetti story begins with Giorgio Angele, a talented pastry chef from Rome who arrived in Melbourne in 1956 as part of the Italian Olympic culinary team. Captivated by Melbourne’s vibrant food scene and multicultural communities, Angele decided to stay and open his own cake shop to share his passion for quality Italian pastries.
With his small store in Kew East in 1956, Angele laid the foundations for the Brunetti brand we know today. His unwavering commitment to authentic flavours, traditional recipes, and excellence made Brunetti a local favourite.
The First Store: A Humble Beginning
Giorgio’s first location was a simple cake shop opened in 1956 on Belford Road in Kew East shortly after his arrival in Melbourne. This modest store with just a few tables became popular in the neighbourhood for Angele’s exquisite Italian cakes and pastries. Customers kept returning for his ricotta cake, lemon custards, and flaky sfogliatelle, even lining up out the door on weekends.
After a number of different business ventures and decades of honing his craft, it was then in the early 90s that Giorgio finally took over another small shop in Carlton – it’s name? Brunetti.
The Evolution of Brunetti Over the Years
Expanding Footprint Across Melbourne
As Brunetti’s reputation for quality grew, the Angele family expanded the concept across Melbourne, opening new stores in places like Lygon Street Carlton, Faraday Street, City Square and the current Flagship – Flinders Lane. More locations meant more customers could enjoy Brunetti’s authentic sweets and friendly hospitality while staying true to Giorgio’s high standards using time-honoured techniques.
Incorporation of Italian Restaurant Dining
While baked goods remained essential to the Brunetti experience, the brand boldly expanded into adjacent Italian offerings like freshly made pasta, pizza, paninis, and share plates. Elegant, Pepe-adorned dining rooms now accompanied the decadent cake displays. This showcased a wider range of Italian flavours and turned Brunetti locations into go-to lunch and dinner destinations, not just sweet shops.
Franchising the Brunetti Concept Internationally
Brunetti’s renowned brand and cuisine also took the global stage when Angele family members collaborated with property developers to open franchised Brunetti locations in luxury shopping centres in Singapore and Dubai. Carefully replicating flagship Melbourne store experiences and pastry perfection overseas introduced new audiences abroad to Brunetti’s culinary heritage.
Brunetti Oro: Writing the Next Chapter
The Concept Behind Brunetti Oro
In 2021, Brunetti embarked on an exciting new chapter by launching the premium concept, “Brunetti Oro.” Brunetti Oro aims to blend contemporary innovation with the brand’s cultural heritage at new flagship locations. Sleek storefronts outfitted with cutting-edge display cases and counters replaced traditional décor for a renewed aesthetic. The counters of cakes give way to a chic, stylish dining space bustling with guests enjoying Italian small plates and an exclusive Brunetti x Lavazza coffee. This fresh direction sets the foundation for Brunetti’s future while upholding history.
What Makes Brunetti Oro Stand Out
Brunetti Oro locations introduce customers to an elevated experience through details like the exclusive Brunetti x Lavazza coffee beans, crafted in Lavazza’s micro-roasting facility in Italy, exclusive product ranges only available at the flagship stores, stunning interior design, and seamless integration of dine-in hospitality with retail. Striking the ideal balance between historic roots and cutting-edge customer service remains Brunetti Oro’s guiding light. Locations feel at once modern yet familiar.
The Brunetti Dining Experience
A Neighbourhood Gathering Place
Beyond a sweet shop, Brunetti cafes have always facilitated community. The welcoming atmosphere draws a diverse mix of regulars and tourists who come to socialise over coffee and homemade Italian delicacies. Brunch gatherings, family celebrations, and weekend meet-ups with friends – Brunetti locations are comfortable spaces reflecting Melbourne’s rich fabric.
Celebrating Special Occasions
From weddings to birthdays and corporate events, Brunetti has played a special role in facilitating Melbourne celebrations for over 60 years with celebratory sweets and cuisine. Custom occasion cakes are a particular favourite. The Brunetti team pours care into creating beautiful centrepieces matched to any theme that has become fond memories for the ages.
Cakes and Pastries – Edible Artistry
Brunetti’s case displays overflow with edible masterpieces – from the iconic Profiterole Towers with their creamy zabaglione filling to ethereal chocolate mousse cakes and traditional tiramisu. Generations of expertise translate into perfect textures and balance in both time-honoured and innovative flavours. Their famous Bocconcini di Nonno biscotti, with its cherry centre, remain best-sellers decades later.
Coffee Culture – The Italian Way
Beyond sweets, Brunetti has carefully nurtured its success in Italian café culture as well. The stores offer an exclusive cobranded Brunetti x Lavazza blend, the only one of its kind in Australia. Roasted in Lavazza’s Factory 1895 micro-roasting facility in Torino, the single-origin Arabica beans are expertly brewed by Brunetti’s highly trained barista’s to create velvety espressos, perfect cappuccinos, and subtly sweet affogatos.
Fresh Italian Cuisine – Pasta, Pizza and More
In the dining rooms adjacent to glass cake displays, the menu celebrates handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza and focaccia baking, antipasto starters and Italian wines. Whether stopping in for a quick panini lunch or lingering for a full multi-course dinner, Brunetti delivers regional Italian flavours masterfully.
Embracing Technology: Brunetti Online & Delivery
The Launch of E-Commerce
To increase convenience while reaching more customers nationwide, Brunetti launched an online shop and delivery service featuring signature cakes, pastries and packaged Italian goods. Now, anyone in Melbourne can enjoy favourites regardless of proximity to a physical store.
Same-Day Delivery in Melbourne
Understanding that customers crave prompt delivery for gifts and occasions, Brunetti guarantees that online orders placed by 9:30 AM will arrive same-day anywhere across greater Melbourne via its boutique logistics network. For last-minute shoppers, next-day delivery ensures freshness, too. This flexibility brings Brunetti’s delights to doorsteps faster.
Brunetti in the Community
Partnerships and Events
Beyond stores and online channels, Brunetti stays connected to communities by participating in cultural events and charity foundations. From Italian film festivals to supporting fundraisers, Brunetti has spent years giving back to the Melbourne community.
Influencing Melbourne’s Culinary Evolution
With an unwavering commitment to quality, Brunetti has significantly influenced Melbourne’s food and hospitality landscape over the decades. Many buzzworthy artisan gelato shops, hidden pasta bars, and third-wave coffee roasters credit Brunetti as inspiration for bringing Italian cuisine authenticity to Melbourne starting in the 1950s. They set the standard.
The Future: What’s Next for Brunetti
Innovations on the Horizon
True to its heritage yet constantly looking ahead, Brunetti relentlessly experiments with new cake flavours, ingredients, dining concepts, and customer experiences. Under the new Brunetti Oro concept, which focuses on contemporary hospitality, expansion plans include new stores and key partnerships, which will expand Brunetti Oro out of Melbourne and into the rest of Australia.
Preserving a Family Legacy
While Brunetti now operates across multiple Australian states through stores, e-commerce channels, and even overseas franchises, the company stays grounded in core values set by founder Giorgio Angele. His sons and grandchildren carry the torch, ensuring exceptional quality, appreciation of heritage, and family stewardship that continues serving communities for decades to come. By embracing innovation while protecting tradition, Brunetti strengthens the foundations underpinning an enduring legacy business.
Conclusion
Brunetti’s evolution from Giorgio Angele’s modest 1950s cake shop to a globally renowned dining icon reveals the power of passion, quality, and valuing heritage. For locals and tourists alike, Brunetti offers moments of indulgence through expertly crafted cakes and coffee along with freshly prepared Italian dishes in an inviting ambience. As fashions change, Brunetti remains committed to providing Melbourne with a magical, memorable taste of Italy one bite at a time for generations more to come.
Questions:
What Sets Brunetti Apart from Other Cake Stores?
Brunetti stands apart through its commitment to traditional Italian recipes, exceptional ingredients without compromise, investments in skilled pastry chefs, and a welcoming atmosphere encouraging community connection. These differentiating elements spanning six decades make Brunetti an unmatched Melbourne icon.
What is Brunetti Most Famous For?
Brunetti built its reputation on delicious Italian cakes, pastries, and gelato made fresh daily the old-fashioned way, with techniques honed over generations. Visitor favourites like their decadent chocolate Baci di San Remo cookies and Tiramisu cakes keep fans returning half a century later.
Who Owns Brunetti?
Brunetti is at it’s heart a family-business. With patriarch Giorgio Angele at the helm, his children have been involved in various capacities since day one. Giorgio officially retired in 2017 and today, his son Yuri Angele runs operations across physical stores and e-commerce.
Where Can I Find Melbourne’s Best Cakes?
While Melbourne is home to many outstanding bakeries, most locals agree Brunetti offers the city’s finest Italian-style cakes. Made with only premium ingredients based on generations of tradition, it’s no wonder lines still stretch out Brunetti’s doors today. Their sweets satisfy like nowhere else.
What Should I Do When Visiting Melbourne?
Aside from exploring vibrant neighbourhoods like Fitzroy and St Kilda, first-timers’ Melbourne itineraries are complete with visiting a Brunetti location to enjoy coffee and cake. With the flagship store conveniently located on Flinders Lane, just a stones throw from tourist hotspots like Flinders Street Station and Hozier Lane. Pop into this local institution boasting 65 years of history for a quintessential Melbourne moment, appreciating the hospitality and flavours that have made Brunetti an Australian classic since 1956. It’s a delicious must-do!
