I still remember the first time I visited The Pocket Storehouse. It was 2020.
A local had told me it was “the best sourdough bakery in town.”
As a lover of proper sourdough, I packed the family into the car and drove the 30 minutes into Bundaberg to see what all the fuss was about.
Back then, The Pocket was tucked away on Scotland Street. When we arrived, the line spilling out the door told us everything we needed to know. This wasn’t just another bakery—it was a culture people were happy to wait for.
Until then, I honestly didn’t know sourdough could be turned into pastries, cakes, doughnuts, caramel slice and just about everything else you could imagine.
And I’m from North Sydney…
It quickly became a Saturday tradition. We’d grab a few treats, roll out the picnic blanket under the trees and enjoy breakfast alongside dozens of other families doing exactly the same thing.
Ten years on, owner Rick Nelson is celebrating a remarkable milestone.
After swapping a career in banking for baking in 2016, he has built more than a bakery. Together with his wife Susan, they’ve created a business known for its authentic organic sourdough, traditional long-fermented baking methods and a passion for making good food the old-fashioned way.
Today, The Pocket Storehouse is even recognised for producing Australia’s only range of Monash University Low FODMAP Certified sourdough products—a testament to just how far a simple idea can rise.
These days, The Pocket calls Kepnock home, but the atmosphere hasn’t changed. The shelves are fuller than ever, the café is always buzzing and there are even more reasons to stop in.
Personally, it’s hard to go past the Reuben toastie and a chocolate croissant… although I could probably fill this entire page listing my favourites.
As tourist destinations go, The Pocket Storehouse might not appear on the map like Mon Repos or Lady Musgrave Island. But it is on the map of the hearts and bellys of locals.
Congratulations to Rick, Susan and the entire Pocket Storehouse team on 10 wonderful years.
With Love From Chitchat.
Published August 2026 Chitchat Newspaper.