The Tarts Anon family has grown in more ways than one.
Gareth Whitton and Catherine Way – owners of the Cremorne tart shop born from their cult Instagram bakery – have recently welcomed both a new Tarts Anon location, in Collingwood, and a new baby, Otis. Both newbies are doing well, while their parents are thriving on minimal sleep and (sometimes) tiramisu tarts for breakfast.
Almost as soon as the couple opened their first shopfront on Gwynne Street, after a year of the tarts selling out online, they knew it wouldn’t be their last.
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SUBSCRIBE NOWSo, when Sackville Street cycle-apparel shop Pedla went looking for a new business to take over its hospo space, Whitton’s name was thrown in the mix. (He’s an avid cyclist, who got into it when he started as head pastry chef at Dinner by Heston.)
“High-performance athletes and indulgent baked goods are probably at opposite ends of the spectrum,” he says. But, “It was a far-fetched concept until it wasn’t.”
Tarts Anon 2.0 occupies Pedla’s front corner, with the same white subway tiles on the wall and long bench cabinet filled with tarts as the Cremorne OG. Tarts are available by the slice in flavours that could include the signature pear, the classic lemon and an ooey-gooey crowd favourite of caramel and chocolate custard. It’s a rotating menu with plenty of specials, while whole and half tarts can be pre-ordered online.
Settling in Collingwood is a homecoming of sorts for Whitton, who was based in the commercial shared kitchen at co-working space Worksmith in the early days. “We had long lines down Smith Street; it really forged our identity in Collingwood,” he says. “To come back home again felt like the return of the prodigal son.”
“People say you create your own luck, and we have had some great luck, but I think we have worked ourselves to the bone to get to where we are now.”
Tarts Anon Collingwood
44 Sackville Street, Collingwood
Hours:
Wed to Fri 8am–2.30pm
Sat 8.30am–3pm