“Basically what we’ve done is create a whole new restaurant by flipping [our model] on its head,” George Papaioannou, manager at Stanmore fine diner Sixpenny, told Broadsheet during Sydney’s first lockdown. “Although it’s a pretty crappy situation we’re in, it’s been really fun to change everything up.”

Back in March last year, Sixpenny set aside its usual degustation in favour of a more casual takeaway approach. And now that Sydney’s back under stay-at-home orders, it’ll once again start swapping fine dining for baked goods, bacon-and-egg rolls and condiments, starting at 9am on Friday July 2. Unlike last time, though, it won’t be doing produce boxes or take-home meals.

Back then, the punters loved it: people queued down the street on weekend mornings for slices of layered carrot cake, tarts, cheese-and-bacon scrolls and loaves of sourdough. They’re all back on the menu, as are sausage-and-egg muffins, fish burgers, and apple-and-brown-butter tarts. Last year’s smash-hit Japanese cheesecake and banana cake “are not on the menu for now”, says Papaioannou.

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Last go around, Sixpenny introduced a pre-order system to cope with demand; this time it’s only taking pre-orders for whole cakes – if you want just a couple of slices, or a bacon-and-egg roll, you’ll have to wait in line. It’ll post its daily menus at 4pm the day before, so you can plan your order in advance.

“On the first day we were very shocked,” Papaioannou said last year. “When I went to tell people how to line up, I was surprised about how far down the street the line went. Obviously we do have a reputation as a three-hatted restaurant, and there a lot of people who are locals, people who haven’t been to the restaurant, who can drop in and pick up some pastries without a five-hour degustation experience. It gives people something to do rather than sitting at home.”

Sixpenny isn’t just functioning as a bakery, either – it’s also selling a range of goods to take home, including coffee beans, jams and jellies, hot sauce and pickles.

“What we tried to avoid was serving the same dishes as in the restaurant,” says Papaioannou. “You come to the restaurant, you have a seven-course tasting menu and the service that goes with it. We wanted to keep that with us – you won’t get that same service and experience at home.”

Sixpenny is open from 9am to 3pm Friday to Sunday. Cake pre-orders open at 4pm each day for pick-up the following day.

sixpenny.com.au

Sydney is currently in lockdown. Masks are mandated in public indoor spaces. Public gatherings are banned and minimal social contact is recommended. If you have concerns about visiting businesses or public spaces, or questions about self-isolation or coronavirus testing, check out the latest updates from NSW Government.