The partnership may be over, but the veteran chef and artisan bakery brand will soon be serving sandwiches side-by-side.
The partnership between Neil Perry and Baker Bleu has crumbled. In a joint statement between the restaurateur and bakery this morning, Perry will be stepping away from the artisan Double Bay bakery to focus on his flagship restaurant Margaret, newly opened Gran Torino, and a revamp of his more casual eatery Next Door.
Perry joined forces with Mike and Mia Russell to open Baker Bleu’s first Sydney location in 2022. Founded in Victoria in 2016, the bakery is best known for its slow-fermented sourdough, which has a distinctive dark, caramelised crust. Baker Bleu now operates three stores across Melbourne and one in Sydney.
“We are grateful to Neil for bringing us to Sydney in 2022, during this time we created something truly magical with Neil and Sam, and we feel privileged to continue to be in the neighbourhood,” said Mike in a statement.
Perry echoed his sentiment. “Sam and I are very proud of the role we’ve played in Baker Bleu’s growth and in making the Double Bay store the success it is today. As Mike and Mia look to expand and take the business in a new direction, we’ve decided to part ways and focus on our restaurants in Double Bay.”
While Baker Bleu consistently draws weekend queues for its bread and pastries, Perry’s sandwiches have become a feature – earning a spot in the Best Sandwich category of Good Food’s Essential Cafe and Bakery Guide 2025.
Developed by Perry, favourites such as the salted wagyu beef will remain on the menu, even after Perry’s exit.
“When I talked to Mike about coming to Sydney, he brought the bread and the pastries, and we really brought the sandwich game, upped the ante on the pizza and then bought coffee in – and that’s really a blueprint for Baker Bleu going forward.”
“We’re really proud of the fact that we’ve changed the business model. It’s no longer just a bakery – the food service aspect, the sandwiches and coffee, is a very, very important part of the business.”
With the partnership now over, the Russells will take full ownership of the Double Bay store and any future outlets.
Meanwhile, Perry is turning his attention to Next Door, which will undergo a minor renovation before reopening in mid-October as an all-day venue, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“Sam and I are most excited about the fact that we’re going to try and realise the full potential of Next Door. We’re going to open for breakfast, and we’re super excited about that.”
“I actually bought Next Door so that Baker Bleu could function fully. It’s a very small space to be manufacturing bread and doing all the stuff that we did, so in the past they’ve relied on being able to utilise Next Door – not just for seating but all the infrastructure.
“Now that we’ve separated, it gives Sam and I the opportunity to get that one going.”
Next Door’s updated menu will include breakfast sandwiches and “the best bacon and egg roll in town”.
On Friday, September 19, the Perrys will also open Bar Torino for antipasto and Italian cocktails. It will take over the site once home to Bobbie’s, the jazz bar Perry launched beneath his Cantonese-focused Song Bird restaurant last year, and closed in May.
“Managing three levels as part of the restaurant proved more complex than we anticipated,” he said in a statement at the time.
Meanwhile, Gran Torino replaced Song Bird’s Asian menu with Italian cooking in August. Perry conceded that he had originally “missed the mark” with the massive scale of his $13 million gamble with the Neville Gruzman building on Bay Street.
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Erina Starkey – Erina is the Good Food App Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously, Erina held a number of editing roles at delicious.com.au and writing roles at Broadsheet and Concrete Playground.
