If you’ve found yourself strolling through one of Adelaide’s fantastic markets in the last couple of years, chances are you may have stumbled upon Masa Bakery. Over the past two and a half years, Adelaide market-goers have been lining up for their colourful selection of Latin American sweets, pastries and savoury treats, and now, after building a loyal following one market stall at a time, the business has finally opened the doors to its first permanent home.
Founded by Colombian couple Diana Lozada and Camilo Dávila, Masa Bakery is now officially open on Grote Street. Diana, who trained as a chef in Colombia before moving to Australia 12 years ago, spent years working in bakeries and restaurants across Brisbane and Adelaide. After settling in Adelaide with Camilo in 2017, the pair found themselves missing the breads, pastries and comforting flavours they grew up with.
“When my husband and I arrived in Adelaide in 2017, we were really missing the flavours from home, our bakery products and our breads, so we decided to start baking from home,” shared Diana.
What began as a few baking experiments for friends quickly gained momentum. “We did some trials with friends to see if they liked it, and everyone loved it. We started a small side business about six years ago. It was a very small operation, just an idea to build a bakery here in Adelaide.”
Six years later, that small side project has grown into one of Adelaide’s best hidden gem Latin American food businesses, appearing at markets across the city and earning a devoted following through its stint in the Adelaide Central Market’s Producer in Residence program.
Translating to “dough”, Masa celebrates the diverse flavours, traditions and baking cultures found across Latin America. The menu showcases recipes inspired by countries including Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina and El Salvador, creating an authentic taste of the region’s culinary style.
Now, the next chapter is unfolding inside the cafe space at Early Setter on Grote Street. For Diana and Camilo, opening a permanent location has been a long time coming.
“We’ve been looking forward to having our own shop for the last year because people at the markets kept asking us, ‘Where’s your shop? We want to come and visit you.’ We had to keep telling them that we only did markets at the time.
“We felt we needed a space where people could access our products every day. We also wanted to serve coffee, including Colombian coffee, which is a really good match for what we do.”
Diana explained that they wanted the space to feel elegant and welcoming, where people are encouraged to come in, try something new and discover what Latin American baking is all about.
Among the menu highlights are Diana’s beloved tres leches cake, a sponge soaked overnight in three different milks, alongside Italian meringue cakes and traditional pastries.
More than anything, Diana hopes the new bakery continues sharing culture through food and creating connections.
“I’m just very excited in general. We were really scared at first, but we’re very grateful for this opportunity and for all the support we’ve received. I’m excited for Australians to try our products and for us to build an even bigger community around Masa,” she shared.
So with six years of loyal support behind them and a permanent home finally on the horizon, Masa Bakery looks set to become Adelaide’s newest destination for authentic Latin American flavours.
Masa Bakery
Where: Inside Early Setter, 215 Grote Street, Adelaide
For more information, click here.
