Young baker brings home the dough
As a second-year apprentice at the well-known and multi-award winning Miami Bakehouse, Ms Ellis has claimed top honours for Most Successful Apprentice Exhibitor for the second year in a row and this year was also crowned Champion Loaf Exhibited by an Apprentice. Miami Bakehouse apprentice Nicola Ellis. Credit: Supplied
Ms Ellis said she had always loved baking and joining the industry had been a great way to better her skills and learn what it takes to be one of the greats.
She credits the competition experience for helping her grow both professionally and personally.
'Competing has taught me how to work well under pressure and adapt quickly,' she said.
'It's helped me build confidence and has given me the chance to find something I'm really good at.'
Miami Bakehouse co-owner David Palmer said Ms Ellis' dedication, consistency and willingness to learn made her a standout young talent with a bright future ahead of her.
'Competitions like the Perth Royal Food Awards are a great reminder of just how much craft, care and creativity goes into what the Miami Bakehouse team does every day,' he said.
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Perth Now
05-08-2025
- Perth Now
Young baker brings home the dough
Mandurah apprentice baker Nicola Ellis, 19, is making her mark on the pastry world after taking home two prizes at this year's Perth Royal Food Awards. As a second-year apprentice at the well-known and multi-award winning Miami Bakehouse, Ms Ellis has claimed top honours for Most Successful Apprentice Exhibitor for the second year in a row and this year was also crowned Champion Loaf Exhibited by an Apprentice. Miami Bakehouse apprentice Nicola Ellis. Credit: Supplied Ms Ellis said she had always loved baking and joining the industry had been a great way to better her skills and learn what it takes to be one of the greats. She credits the competition experience for helping her grow both professionally and personally. 'Competing has taught me how to work well under pressure and adapt quickly,' she said. 'It's helped me build confidence and has given me the chance to find something I'm really good at.' Miami Bakehouse co-owner David Palmer said Ms Ellis' dedication, consistency and willingness to learn made her a standout young talent with a bright future ahead of her. 'Competitions like the Perth Royal Food Awards are a great reminder of just how much craft, care and creativity goes into what the Miami Bakehouse team does every day,' he said.
ABC News
30-07-2025
- ABC News
Coastal erosion researcher warns against Gold Coast plan for bars on beaches
Beach bars could become a permanent tourist attraction on the Gold Coast from next year, but an environmental researcher warns the city's eroded beaches are in no shape to accommodate them. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he would like the first venue to be set up at Broadbeach in the 2026 summer and packed up in winter. "The ideal beach bar is that I can go down there and enjoy the surf," Cr Tate said. A beach bar was successfully trialled at Broadbeach during the 2021–22 Christmas school holidays. Gold Coast City Council endorsed a three-year extension of the Kurrawa Beach Bar trial, but it was blocked by the Department of Natural Resources in 2022 after complaints from environmental groups. Councillor Tate said a resurrected beach bar would need to be affordable and accessible to the public, unlike some European beach clubs. Bond University coastal erosion researcher Mark Ellis said the venture wouldn't be viable given the city's beaches still bore the scars of damage inflicted during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. "The issue is you actually need to have a beach to have it on," Mr Ellis said. An estimated 6 million cubic metres of sand, the equivalent of 2,000 Olympic swimming pools, was washed away from beaches across the city. The Gold Coast City Council predicts it could take up to three years to recover from the storm, with more than $30 million already spent on a sand-pumping barge to help speed up the process. Several major events have been relocated or cancelled, including the Pacific Airshow, because of the erosion. Mr Ellis said any planned beach bar would be vulnerable to future storm threats. "I think from an environmental point of view and a climate and modelling point of view, it's not really a good long-term business model because the next storm surge is going to increase," he said. "I think we're going into a La Niña summer and La Niñas are usually profound for bringing in more storms and, when more storms come in, that leads to more erosion. While councils pay to maintain and manage Queensland beaches, the state government owns them. There has been a change of government since the Kurrawa Beach Club was shut down, and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has publicly supported its revival. But the Gold Coast City Council would have to apply for a trustee lease if it wanted to operate a beach club long term. The Gold Coast Council has been drafting a land-management plan for the Broadbeach foreshore and it carried out community consultation last year. A city spokesperson said the final report would be ready in the coming months. While residents and businesses have previously opposed commercial activities on the beach because of noise and pollution, Cr Tate said the new proposal would have minimal impact on the community. "This is only taking a small part of the beach, not even 50 metres," he said. "We've got 66 kilometres of beach so, if you don't want to go to the beach bar, you've got [plenty of beach] to choose from."
Perth Now
25-07-2025
- Perth Now
Popular WA bakery named most successful pastry exhibitor
Miami Bakehouse has risen to the top and swept the field at the 2025 Perth Royal Bread and Pastry Awards. The top crust Mandurah bakery was named the most successful pastry exhibitor and awarded four gold medals. Miami Bakehouse also took home the champion commercial bread title. Apprentice Nicola Ellis was awarded the most successful apprentice exhibitor and champion loaf exhibited by an apprentice for her standout Vienna loaf. Co-owner of Miami Bakehouse David Palmer said he was incredibly proud of the bakery team. 'Not just for the awards but for the dedication they show behind the scenes,' he said. 'Every competition is a chance to refine our recipes and baking techniques, which means our customers are the real winners because this learning ends up in the recipes and products our customers enjoy every day. Judge Oliver Pownall of Millers Foods and David Palmer, Co-owner Miami Bakehouse Credit: Supplied 'Nicola's awards are well deserved. Seeing a young apprentice earn top recognition so early in their career is exactly why we invest in hands-on training - it leads to moments like this.' The awards were held on July 23 at Claremont Showground and celebrated excellence in craftsmanship, flavour, and baking innovation. This year's competition attracted 109 entries from WA, with every product blind judged by an independent panel of six expert judges. Entries were assessed on taste, texture, aroma, and presentation, ensuring a fair and rigorous evaluation process. Head Judge, Pastry Chef, Bread Baker, Chocolatier and Food Tech Amy Sajinovic praised the standard of entries. 'We saw exceptional quality across all categories this year, with bakers delivering both technical excellence and creative flair,' she said. 'It's inspiring to see such a strong commitment to craftsmanship and innovation within WA's baking community. The addition of new classes brought fresh energy to the judging panel and some standout entries we won't forget.'
