Meet Bree from Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses – Officer

We recently had a chat to one of our fantastic team members, Bree Druzca, co-owner and operator with her Mum and Dad, Val & Peter at Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses – Officer.

Join us as we step behind the counter to meet Bree, learn about her family, her background and what wild and wonderful experiences she has encountered in-store.

So Bree, you’ve been with Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses since 2013. What was your first experience of Ferguson Plarre?

“Actually, I got into Ferguson Plarre quite late in life. I’m 29 now and the first time I visited Fergies was when we went for a drive as a family when we were considering whether to get involved with Ferguson Plarre as a business.

My parents and I jumped in the car and visited a few different stores in our area to taste and experience the Ferguson Plarre brand before we decided to get involved with the business.”

That’s some very tasty research that you’ve carried out there – What actually made you decide to build a business for yourselves?

“My parents have always had their own business for as long as I remember and I really don’t know much different. Before starting at Ferguson Plarre I was working for another company and while it was great, there is something really very satisfying about building your store and business from the ground up.

Particularly with our store as there was no store in the area when we started, so we had a clean slate to start from which meant we had to work even harder to even get noticed by our fantastic guests.”

What do you love about working at Ferguson Plarre?

“One of the most enjoyable parts of coming in for the day is seeing our regulars. We have a number of guests that come in 4 or 5 times a week – We make sure we know their orders off the top of our heads so that all they need to do is take a seat and your coffee and cake is sitting in front of you almost immediately.

What does a typical day for you look like in store?

“Well, I get up most days at 5-30am, then head off to the store at 6am for a 7am opening. As soon as I get in the coffee machine is fired up and of course I have to try the coffee to make sure it all tastes perfect – that caffeine shot comes in handy around 8-30am when the morning rush starts.

As soon as the coffee machine is firing on all cylinders we start to move our beautiful cakes from the fridge to our refrigerated cabinets so that everyone can see what we have available each day. At the same time we also start to put a few of our more popular morning pies in the oven so that they are ready for those who are looking for a savoury brekkie on the go.

We open up the store at 7am, then the morning typically flies by as I work a full day until 2pm, when the afternoon shift come in and start. Then I head to the gym for an hour of exercise before I head home for various activities including dog training, cooking and a bit of relaxation, maybe even a nap depending on how the day has gone.”

So that is a typical day, but what about some of the more unusual days. Are there any funny stories that you can share with us?

“Actually, just over the weekend we had a classic. One gentleman came in, dressed up and looking very spiffy. He walks straight up to the counter and simply asks us for every single donut in the store. We looked at him expecting there to be punchline, but no, he was legit. He was getting married that afternoon and wanted to buy the donuts for his groomsmen as they were getting hungry. We were happy to help, I just hope that none of his team spilt any jam onto their crisp suits and shirts.”

And there you have it, Bree Druzca from Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses – Officer is living proof that family businesses are a great asset not just to the families themselves but also the community.

We know that Bree, Val & Peter will continue to grow and evolve with their community and no doubt be local icon for years to come.