08/07/2026
When people ask why artisan food costs more, the honest answer is bigger than "the ingredients."
Every year, the cost of running a small business goes up, and most of it happens quietly, behind the counter.
Wages rise, and everything tied to them rises too: superannuation (now at 12%), workers' comp, payroll costs. Insurance climbs. Electricity, gas and rent keep climbing. Flour, butter, eggs, coffee and packaging all cost more than they did a few years ago.
Then there are the changes most people never see, new regulations, new compliance, more admin. And from October, businesses can no longer pass card payment fees on to customers. That cost now sits with us.
For a bakery like ours, wages alone are close to half of everything we spend. We think skilled people deserve to be paid properly for their craft.
Could we cut costs? Absolutely.
Cheaper ingredients. Shorter fermentation. Swap australian cultured butter for cheaper fats. Add improvers, preservatives, additives.
But then it would not be Burleigh Baker.
We choose people, traditional craft and real ingredients, because that's what real food is.
Thank you for supporting local makers who still do it the slow way. Not because it's easy. Because it's right.
Love your gut ✨