Suzie Hutchins never planned to build a pie empire from a rental kitchen. During Melbourne’s long pandemic lockdowns she began baking American-style sweet pies and delivering them around Fitzroy, just to keep busy. That cottage operation has now become Cakehouse Collective, and in August 2026 it will open as a permanent bakery at 336 Brunswick Street.
The shop marks the end of Hutchins’ regular appearances at Melbourne Farmers Markets and Stay Soft Studio, where she built a loyal following for generously portioned pies loaded with Victorian produce. Hutchins said she once believed big dreams needed big money. “I always thought you needed a lot of money and capital behind you to do things you love, but I’m realising anyone can do it. You just need to keep at it.”
Hutchins brings two decades of chef experience to the venture, though much of that was in savoury kitchens. She worked at Crown’s Number 8 and Little Creatures Dining Hall before opening Shadow Wine Bar and Dining Room in Perth. The Brunswick Street bakery is a deliberate pivot toward the sweet, American baking traditions she fell for during years of baking at home.
The menu sticks to what worked at the markets. Sour cherry pie uses fruit from Cherry Hill Orchards in the Yarra Valley. The apple pie is built on fruit from Zooie’s Apples at Main Ridge. Maple pecan, salted-honey and a towering s’mores pie round out a line-up that has little in common with the croissants and sourdoughs dominating Melbourne’s bakery scene. “People come back for pies every week,” Hutchins said.
Unlike a French patisserie or an artisan sourdough baker, Cakehouse is unapologetically American. The s’mores pie is a layered monument to biscuit, chocolate and toasted marshmallow. The sour cherry is deep and sharp, not a restrained tartlet. These are pies meant to be shared, or not.
The move to a permanent address does not mean Hutchins will disappear from the market circuit entirely. She said occasional pop-ups at farmers markets in Carlton, Coburg and Alphington are likely, though the schedule won’t be weekly. For now, the focus is on fitting out the Brunswick Street space and opening the doors.
The bakery sits on a stretch of Brunswick Street already thick with cafes. You can make a morning of it by starting at Cakehouse for pie, then walking a few doors to A1 Bakery Fitzroy for Lebanese pizza or fresh pita to take home. Tram routes 11 and 112 stop near Johnston Street and Gertrude Street, both a short walk from number 336. Street parking is tight, so tram is the better bet.
Hutchins said the hardest part of leaving the markets will be missing the other stallholders. “That connection grounds you. It’s been so inspiring for me,” she said. The Brunswick Street shop might be a roof over her pies, but it’s built on years of Saturday mornings under a market umbrella.