The beloved Balmain bakery that came back after a brutal setback
Penny Fours, the bakery led by former fine-dining pastry chef Penelope Ransley, reopened in Balmain after a difficult closure period — giving locals their pastries back.
Pastries and tarts on a bakery counter
Some Sydney food stories are not about the newest shiny opening. Some are about coming back.
That is what made the return of Penny Fours in Balmain feel personal for so many pastry lovers. The bakery, led by former fine-dining pastry chef Penelope Ransley, reopened after a difficult closure period that left regulars wondering whether they would ever see its pastries again.
Ransley is not new to Sydney's serious baking scene. Before Penny Fours, she worked in high-end kitchens and built a reputation for pastries with real technique behind them. Her almond and raspberry croissants, in particular, became the kind of thing people remembered.
The original Penny Fours opened in Leichhardt back in 2013, well before the current wave of bakeries made weekend pastry runs a Sydney ritual. It was charming, slightly eccentric and built around craft rather than hype.
The Balmain return gave the bakery a fresh chapter. For locals, it meant more than just having another place to buy coffee and something sweet. Independent bakeries often become part of the rhythm of a suburb.
In a city where hospitality has been hit by rising rents, staffing issues and cost pressures, a reopening can feel like a small win.
Penny Fours' comeback is also a reminder that Sydney's food scene is not only built by big groups and glossy new venues. It is also shaped by bakers, chefs and owners who keep showing up, even after the hard parts. And in this case, the reward is simple: Balmain gets its pastries back.
"Sydney's food scene is also shaped by bakers and owners who keep showing up, even after the hard parts."
