Bake a loaf of Lebanese bread, add a few Middle Eastern treats, gather a few friends, and you have Abboud Bakery on Logan Road, Underwood. Abboud Bakery is the latest offering from Gus Khcheiche (pronounced Kerr-cheesh) and Angelo Anthony. Their simple idea of opening a café-bakery is as much about making a cultural difference as it is about the differences on the traditional, home-style menu.
Speaking about their new venture, Gus and Angelo said first and foremost Abboud Bakery is about extending a warm welcome to every customer by introducing them to the rich culture of the Middle East through its wonderful food and famous coffee. “Anywhere you travel in the Middle East, you will find that kindness and hospitality is an important part of the experience,” Angelo said. “A lot of our Abboud Bakery’s menu is based on Syrian and Lebanese family recipes, including our bread. The bakery is named as an homage to both our mothers. They share Abboud as a maiden name; but more than this, we grew up with many of the dishes we will be serving at Abboud Bakery, so we can truly claim that our menu is filled with delights just like our mothers used to make.”
Angelo said the idea for the bakery came from a friend who reached out to assist with a group of Syrian refugees. “So many migrants and refugees have amazing skills that will enhance Australia’s cultural experience and knowledge, while assisting them to integrate with and contribute to our communities. Our Chef, George Tabbakh, is a third-generation traditional family baker. He and his family migrated as refugees from Aleppo in Syria in 2016. George will work in Abboud Bakery for a few years before taking it over as his own business. We see this as a great way to give migrants arriving in Australia a helping hand to start their new life in this wonderful country.”
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