The Midnight Baker

Kia ora e te whanau,

After 8 years making & sharing bread with you, we are turning off our ovens & closing down on the 24th December.

Our final order deadline will be Sunday 18th December, for delivery the week before Christmas. We strongly encourage you to order soon though, to ensure you get all of your favourite treats. (There is limited Better Butter supply!)

We’ll be offering 10% off our bread & naked mixes & 20% off our boxed mixes until we close. The discount will be applied automatically to your cart.

Why are we closing? There is no one single reason, but the accumulation of small reasons. Covid has had a part to play for sure. So too have changes in my personal life including a change in life direction, & injuries I need time & energy to recover from (hello concussion).

We hope you understand that this isn’t entirely sad news. I like to do things on my own terms & Midnight has been no exception. So I’m closing on my own terms too, & it doesn’t feel so sad. There is so much to be grateful for. The friendships, camaraderie, & fun. The amazing people & establishments we got to work with. The best of the best.
The end of one thing creates space for something else. For my team & I, this creates room for new opportunities to thrive.

There aren’t enough words or time to describe how grateful I am to you, our community. It is no exaggeration to say that none of this would have been possible without your support & belief in us. You helped us grow & turn Midnight Baker into a fully realised dream.

I have a LOT of thank yous which I can’t fit in this post. However I must thank my team - Harkirat, Alice, Anshul, (& Keria!) I would have been lost without them this year. They’ve held the fort solidly while I’ve been recovering.

My brain is still healing so my replies won’t be quick. But know that I would love to hear from you. I will read everything & reply when I can.

I appreciate that endings are difficult & that you're likely to have mixed feelings about all of this. Know that I'm right there beside you; it is particularly bittersweet for me. On behalf of my team & I, thank you. For your friendship & your unwavering support. We will be forever grateful.

Arohanui,

Yeshe

👋🏽 HI! Sorry for the radio silence. This year has been full on until I sustained a concussion and then everything stopped (not the bakery - just me, Yeshe).

I’ll do a proper post later maybe but just a quick one now to let you know we’re offering 15% off our Freedom Loaf mixes this week until Sunday night 💙💙 The team will ship them out next week ⭐️ The discount code is MIXITUP

Newsroom business editor Nikki Mandow looks into women run food businesses, the obstacles we face, and possible reasons for why there aren't more. I'm so pleased she was able to incorporate our bread into her line up. At the very least, it's super filling!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018837057/where-are-all-the-women-run-food-companies

Where are all the women-run food companies? Newsroom's Nikki Mandow decided to only eat food made by women or women-run companies for a week. It was a lot harder than she expected.

🚦🔴 Kia Ora e te whanau, lil red level Omicron update. Our bakery, while still operating, is currently closed to the public. We have immunocompromised whanau whose safety is paramount. Our staff will be working solo and separately to ensure their safety and yours.

Can you still get bread and cookies and mixes and Better Butter? YES! And in fact now more than ever we really need your support. With no wage subsidy and RSP, and hospo set for HARD times as omicron spreads, we’ll be SO so grateful for your online orders, and your support of our stockists (safely of course).

Our online store will be open throughout with goods being dispatched on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Farro Fresh, Commonsense Organics, and IE Produce will receive bread throughout the week. I’ll put the timetable in the comments.

Take care during these challenging times ♥️ And look after one another.

Ngā mihi nui, Team Midnight

MERI KERIHIMETE 🎄🌞 Thank you SO MUCH for your support this year. I’ve been so crap at posting this year because of, well, everything. But I do see your lovely comments and stories and they bring me and the team so much joy. Wishing you all a very restful, much deserved break this summer festive season.

We’ll be open over summer, but in a limited capacity. You’ll still be able to order online with orders being dispatched once a week. and will also still be getting fresh bread every Thursday 🍞😄

I think it’s safe to say we’re all fairly strung out after the trials of this year. Stay safe and look out for one another ♥️

Arohanui

Yeshe, Harkirat, Keria, Alice, and Kate

🚦update: We’ve been busy this week, baking bread for all your favourite cafes and stores in anticipation of moving to red light today 🍞

From this Monday 6th Dec, as per pre lockdown, we‘ll be offering contactless purchases through our front window.
If you’re coming by, we ask you scan in using the QR code, that you wear a face mask, and that you respect at least 1m personal space of pedestrians and other customers. Please respect any requests our staff make of you to follow these guidelines. And please treat us with the same kindness you’d like to receive. We’re all doing the best we can right now with depleted resources.

If this doesn’t suit, we’re also always offering all our products on our online store with contactless delivery 📦💨

Our team is fully vaccinated. We’re taking the above measures to keep each other, our whanau, our customers and community safe. Members of our wider whanau and community either can’t be vaccinated (under 12s and 5s) or are immunocompromised. We want to ensure they’re kept as safe as possible.

It’s been a heck of a struggle these last few months for all of us in hospitality, operators and providers alike. If you have the means, please support your local owner operator cafe, restaurant, or small biz. Whether it be in person or online.

Yeshe 🍞♥️

Kia ora e te whanau,

I’ve got some big news. After 7 years at the helm, I’ve made the tough decision that it’s time to hand over the reins of The Midnight Baker. And I’m looking for someone who’s keen to take over. Perhaps social media is a strange place to announce this. But I launched here 7 years ago and have found the most amazing support and community so it seemed only fitting.

It’s with a heavy heart that I share this, having dedicated everything to building TMB. I feel so grateful for the support we’ve received, be it at the markets, the bakery, the cafe, or here online. Thank you for believing in what we do and showing up for us in such a massive way.

But as hard as this choice has been, I’m really excited for someone just as passionate to come in and embrace Midnight for what it is and lead it in their own direction. I’m looking for someone who get’s what Midnight is about, who understands our values around sustainability and the environment, prioritising quality, and doing business with integrity. We are incredibly privileged to have the best customers and to work with the best cafes, restaurants, and speciality stores across Aotearoa. I’m looking for someone who will ensure our wider TMB whanau are taken care of.

Perhaps you’re someone who’s ready for a change and keen to work for themselves. TMB is set up and ready to go. Or perhaps you’re already in business and Midnight would fit in well with your offerings. Our lease is circumstances are unique, so this could suit someone who already has a kitchen set up. But equally we’ve been looking at new premises and can definitely help there.

If you're interested, I’d love to hear from you. Or if you know someone who might be, please forward and share! You can get in touch with me at [email protected]

Rest assured, things will be still be running as per usual at Midnight Baker HQ. Our online store will still be open. We are ready for the reopening of hospitality on the 29th. And you can still buy fresh Freedom Loaves from , and , and mixes from our speciality goods stockists across Aotearoa.

Arohanui,

Yeshe

👋🏽 just a tasty toast plate to remind you we’ve got delicious breads and treats that can be delivered contactlessly to your door. TTFN.

Kia ora team, we are in need of your help. We’ve just been notified that our building is finally being sold. We have about 6 months (give or take) to move. This has always been on the cards, but even so, it’s a pretty hard time to receive such news.

SO we’re on the hunt for a new home for The Midnight Baker. If you or your wider network knows of any commercial kitchen spaces for lease in the coming days / weeks / months we’d be really grateful to hear from you. Of course we’ll be looking online but I’ve found that asking our community often proves best.

We’re looking for:
- commercial kitchen / industrial site
- 50-80m2
- based anywhere in Auckland. Ideally outer central but I’m open to anything.
- could share with another small business and work mornings.

Thanks team ♥️I’ll be sad to say goodbye to our little Dominion Rd home.

ONLINE SALE - we’re throwing a flash sale! To help you get you through the long haul of lockdown. And to help us keep the lights and ovens on!

We’re offering 15% off all of our

🍞FREEDOM LOAF MIXES
🍪CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
🍯BETTER BUTTERS

Use the discount code TREATS to receive 15% off these products from now until October 18th.

We’re very lucky to still be operating in the covid 19 era and it’s in large part thanks to your support.

From our bakery bubble to yours, take care, stay safe, and look after one another.

PS. The couriers are SO overwhelmed with deliveries atm so your order may take a bit longer than usual to get to you.

Kia ora!

We’re on the hunt for a baker(s)!

Either
1 x full time baker
OR
2 x part time bakers.

🍞 35+ hours a week available.
🍞 Starting rate is living wage ($22.75) but negotiable depending on your experience.
🍞 all breaks are fully paid
🍞 lots of free bread and a great workplace

Bakery experience would be great but we’re happy to provide full training to the right hard working, enthusiastic people!

You need to be comfortable with some heavy lifting as we have 20kg bags of goods. And a good attention to detail and consistency will help.

Available for an immediate start.

Please email Yeshe on [email protected] with expressions of interest and your CV

Kia ora team, as whanau members, co workers, and friends of the rainbow community, we ask you to please make a submission supporting the banning of conversion therapy. We love our q***r whanau just the way they are.
Please don’t leave how this legislation turns out to chance.

It takes just 5 mins!

Conversion therapy is an incredibly harmful practice endangering our LGBTQIA+ whanau. We need to make sure the select committee and eventual legislation properly protects the rainbow community.

Here’s where you make your submission. Make sure to personalise it, even in the simplest way, so it counts - there’s prompts in the slides below:

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/53SCJU_SCF_BILL_113397/conversion-practices-prohibition-legislation-bill

Here are step by step guides and templates:

https://linktr.ee/Shaneellall

https://younglabour.org.nz/how-to-submit-on-the-conversion-practices-prohibition-bill/

Kia ora e te whanau. A quick level 4 update. We’ll still be baking and filling online orders, supplying and on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Our bakery doors will be locked but we’ll still be there and doing all the things to keep you and our team safe.

Thinking of all our hospo friends as we wade through 4.0✨ Stay safe and take care ♥️

QUEENSTOWN - you can now get our Freedom Loaf mixes from Raeward Fresh! No more needing to pay for couriers. Just head on in store 🥳

NEW IN STORE
Is The Midnight Baker in Auckland out of your way? You can now make their loaves at home with these loaf mixes!
Easy to make, gluten free, dairy free and great source of protein and fiber.

The Midnight Baker

This photo from is a bit old now but it’s too good not to share. I keep seeing in my photo reel and getting hungry. I mean, just look at that 👌🏽✨

Another masterpiece. Homemade ricotta and seeded honey on toasted Freedom Loaf 💛

Looking through old photos and recipes for the Cafe cookbook. Feeling nostalgic. And hungry.

Elements Lyall Bay and their avocado on toasted Freedom Loaf, with sundried tomato, carrot purée, walnuts, olives, basil, and a poached egg 🤌🏽✨

The question we get asked the most about our loaf mixes is “are they easy to make?”. Definite YES 👌🏽 they take no more than 5 minutes to make up! AND you can customise it.

Just pour the dry ingredients into a bowl, prep and add the liquid element (water, sugar and oil some kind) mix vigorously, then shape in your loaf pan and leave it to set before baking. Voila! You’ll get more detailed instructions in your kit, but at its essence, that’s all it takes

You can also add in things like olives, herbs, nuts, spices, and dried fruit for some extra flavour and texture.

Last week I made a rosemary and walnut loaf and the smell in wafting through the house was SO good. Yom.

The best way to breakfast 👌🏽✨🍞

🌕 BLUE MOON SALE 🌑 It’s a rarity but it happens! We’re offering 15% off everything on our online store. That’s right. Stock up now while the goings good.

Why? Because we want to say thank you. For following us. For buying bread and treats from us. For keeping myself and my team employed for the last 7 years. (7 years!!) We literally would not be here if it wasn't for your support. THANK YOU, many times over.

Simply use the code SEED at the checkout to receive your 15% discount.

https://themidnightbaker.co.nz/collections/bakery

If you have a friend who's always wanted to try our bread, tag and share the discount code with them too.

Valid until Monday 17th 11:59pm.

If you have ordered in the last 7 days, we are happy to honour this discount retroactively. Please email [email protected] 🌙