5 days ago
Dessert Masters champion John Demetrios invests $100k prize into business venture
Dessert Masters 2024 champion John Demetrios is putting his $100,000 prize money to work launching a boutique bakery in Malvern with his wife Martina.
The Melbourne pastry chef, who wowed judges with creations inspired by fig leaves and the Eureka Stockade, has taken on a long-term lease at 209 Glenferrie Rd, where the couple are currently fitting out the space for their new venture, Butter Days.
Teska Carson's Rory Teska-Szer, who handled the lease, said the bakery would bring added buzz to a retail strip that's 'really come alive' in recent months.
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'It's a really buzzy area because you've got big name tenants like Yo-Chi, Grill'd, Schnitz and Subway,' Mr Teska-Szer said.
'You've also got the new pub on the corner, the Gardiner Hotel, which has added a new kind of life to Glenferrie Rd.'
Demetrios, who worked at Vue de Monde and Omnia before appearing on Dessert Masters, is now channelling his fine-dining experience into a local bakehouse, with a focus on handcrafted, small-batch pastries.
Mr Teska-Szer said the landlord was pleased to secure a tenant of Demetrios' profile and industry background.
'John is technically a first-time operator when it comes to running his own venue, but he's got loads of experience in the industry and a big public profile now,' he said.
Martina, a sommelier, is also heavily involved in the venture, which will operate as a husband-and-wife business.
The couple are aiming to open the doors within a few months.
'It's not a pop-up, they're committing to the area,' Mr Teska-Szer said.
'There are options to renew and it's a long-term lease.'
The Teska Carson agent said the deal follows two other recent leases on the strip, at 89 and 59 Glenferrie Rd noting vacancy rates were trending down.
'While there are still a few vacancies here and there, we're seeing momentum,' Mr Teska-Szer said.
'It's slowly becoming one of Melbourne's better-performing retail strips again.'
