Neighbourhood Kneads Is Moving Into All Are Welcome’s Old Thornbury Space

Pankaj Bajaj has been spending a lot of time at 887 High Street, Thornbury. The site was once home to Boris Portnoy’s bakery All Are Welcome (which closed all locations in June after entering administration). But next month, Bajaj will open Neighbourhood Kneads.

“My goal with the space is to somewhat resurrect the bakery there,” Bajaj tells Broadsheet. “Try to provide for the community – what [Portnoy] was providing – but with my own little spin on it.”

He purchased some All Are Welcome equipment at auction and is keeping the space mostly the same. There’ll be sourdough and viennoiseries with some twists. But “it’s not about extravagance here,” Bajaj says. “I’m trying to keep things simple.”

Bajaj comes from a hospo family. From 17, he and his sister helped their parents run Flora, a cafeteria-style Indian restaurant on Flinders Street, which the family sold in 2022 after 14 years. At Flora, Bajaj says he was a jack of all trades filling in for chefs, dishwashers and everyone else when needed.

But his passion has always been baking. He plans to hire a team, but he’s otherwise on his own. “It’s just me. It’s gonna be my little baby.” Bajaj says he’ll be hands-on when it comes to recipe development, and knows he can fill in as a baker where needed.

While cleaning the shop and getting to know the space, Bajaj says he’s been struck by the strength of the local community – and its desire for a bakery. Curious locals have stopped by to see what he’s been up to, and Bajaj says he’s received many DMs from people expressing their excitement about the bakery. “All Are Welcome left a hole in their heart, and I really want to give back to the community with good food.”

Neighbourhood Kneads is expected to open at 887 High Street, Thornbury in October.

@neighbourhoodkneads