After being named Queensland’s Best Bakery in a public vote, The Baker’s Duck is preparing to expand its production capacity while staying connected to the Toowoomba community that built its following.
The Baker’s Duck won the Best Bakery title in the 2026 Queensland Day All the Best awards, bringing statewide recognition to a business already attracting customers from beyond Toowoomba.
Almost 75,000 votes were cast across 15 categories. For The Baker’s Duck, the result recognised more than a decade spent building its reputation around distinctive products, skilled people and strong regional ties.
The bakery opened on Campbell Street in 2015 and was acquired by current owner Isaac Moody in 2018. Since then, the business has invested in its team, production facilities and product quality.
The bakery says its current store serves around 10,000 customers in an average week. Its signature Strawberry Cheesecake Danish has developed a following of its own, with around 35,000 made each year.
The wider menu combines familiar formats with changing flavours and seasonal specials. Croissants, Danishes, pies and sausage rolls offer an accessible starting point, while limited releases give customers a reason to return. The format remains recognisable, but the execution offers something they may not find elsewhere.
Coffee also plays an important role. The bakery reports selling around 83,000 coffees annually using beans roasted locally by Six of One. Together, coffee and pastry support breakfast and takeaway trade while creating more reasons to visit throughout the day.
Behind the product range is a focus on ingredients and controlled production methods. The bakery’s croissant dough follows a semi-sourdough process incorporating spelt flour and selected butter. It also uses local milk and eggs, premium chocolate and seasonal produce where possible.
Product consistency also depends on the team. Executive chef Millie Dunn leads the kitchen alongside head baker Jaidan Neilson and chefs still developing their careers. Training staff to work independently supports consistency, builds capability and reduces reliance on a small number of senior employees.
The next stage of the bakery’s growth is taking shape at a second Toowoomba site near the city’s railway station. The planned venue will combine a café with an expanded production kitchen, consolidating work currently spread across multiple premises. Around three-quarters of the approximately 400-square-metre site will be dedicated to production.
A temperature-controlled kitchen will help the pastry team manage the conditions required for laminated dough, while a glass frontage will allow customers to watch the production process.
The expansion addresses existing capacity constraints without moving the business away from the community where its reputation was built. The Baker’s Duck’s growth shows that a distinctive product may create demand, but sustaining it requires disciplined production, skilled people and expansion based on genuine operational needs.
