I
t’sluckytheglasscubeat
theheartofMelbourne’scult
LuneCroissanterieinFitzroy
is notonlyclimate-controlled
butsoundproof.LuneLab,
asit’sknown,wasthesettingfora
legendaryscreamingmatchbetween
KateandCamReidwhentheyprocessed
creativedifferencesinthewayonlysiblingscan.
“Wemusthavelookedprettycomicaltoanyonestanding
outside,”saysKate.“Staffhadtotellustotakeit outtheback.”
Infairness,youdon’tgettobetheownersoftwohyped
bakerieswith70-oddemployeesandqueuesstretchingaround
theblockwithouta fewdust-upsalongtheway.And,despite
a fewhiccups,theReidshaveweatheredtheirseven-year
roadtosuccesswithoutanyfracturingoftheirbond.
Cam,35,joinedhissister,Kate,37,whenshewasat a
crossroadsofwantingtoevolveherwholesale-onlybusiness.
Anentrepreneurialspirit,he’djustsoldhisMelbourne
caféandwasat a looseend.In2013,theyopenedthe
Friday-to-SundayshopinElwoodthatwouldmakethe
Lunename.Therestis pastryhistory.
It’ssafetosaytheydidn’tknowwhattheywereinfor.
Thealarmwentoffeachdayat 3am;theyputin 70 to 80
hourseachweek.“Wewereopenone-and-a-halfhoursa
day,threedaysa week,andworkedallthosehours,”says
Cam.“Itwasinsane.”Withjustthetwoofthem,the
pressureswereimmense.
“Wewerelivingtogetherat thetime,”saysKate.“The
placehadpaper-thinwalls...thereweredarktimesforme.
But seriously, we could have a fight at work, then get in thecartogether,gohomeandthen
goouttodinner.”
Circumstanceshavecertainly
changedforthepair.Withtheir
café-impresariopartner,Nathan
Toleman,theymovedintotheir
impressiveFitzroymothership
in2015,thenexpandedintothecityin 2018 withpredictable
just-add-Instagramsuccess.A Sydneylocationis nowin
theworks,too.Lunesellsaround21,000croissantsa week
comparedwith 1100 backinElwood.Andtheirroleis now
toguideLuneanditsemployeesintothefutureratherthan
workthepastrybench.
“Tobesuccessful,youhavetobepreparedtowrite
offa coupleofyears,”saysCam.“Weworkedandworked
andworked.Ourhealthsuffered.ButI wasreallyfortunate
tohaveKatethere.I couldhavesaid,‘Thisis toohard,’
butbecauseit’sfamilyyoucanstandthosepressures.
Thefactthatwe’resiblingsis theonlythingthatgotus
throughthosefirst 18 months.”
If youasknicely,they’llhappilysharemorestoriesof
explosivesiblingbust-ups.Therewasthetimetheystared
eachotherdown,knivesinhand,acrossthepastrybench.
Thetime– muchmorerecently– whenKatescreamed
expletivesat CamdownFlindersLane.
Butthey’veweatheredit allandcomeupsmiling.
Wantproof?KatewasCam’sbestmanat hiswedding
lastyear.“WhenI wasa kid,I reallywanteda sisterand
usedtodresshimup,”shesays.“ThejokewasthatCam
hadthelastlaughbecausehegotmeina tuxedo.”
Lune Croissanterie, various locations, lunecroissanterie.com➤Kate&CamReid
LUNE, VIC
by Larissa Dubecki
Left:KateandCamas
children.Above:thesiblings
at Lune Croissanterie.“Icouldhavesaid,‘Thisis
too hard,’butbecauseit’s
familyyoucan standthose
pressures. Thefactthat
we’resiblingsisthe only
thing that got us through.”GOURMET TRAVELLER 65PHOTOGRAPHY KARA ROSENLUND (PALISA ANDERSON & BETEL LEAVES).