We are calling on the Abbotsford Convent Foundation to immediately withdraw its termination notice against Convent Bakery and negotiate a fair lease renewal in good faith.

Convent Bakery has been a cornerstone of the Abbotsford Convent precinct since 2018. We stepped in when the previous operator walked away, paid $126,000 to clear all outstanding rent arrears left by the previous tenant, and kept this iconic space alive. Over eight years, we built a thriving business, employed more than 20 local people — including team members on sponsored visas — and became part of the fabric of this extraordinary Melbourne heritage site.

This is what we received in return:

🔒 Locked out six times during COVID — for more than 250 days — even though we were a government-listed Authorised Provider legally permitted to trade. We paid every dollar of rent as required by law throughout every single lockout.

🥖 Our exclusivity agreement was breached — the Foundation has been allowing a monthly farmers market inside the precinct to sell bread in direct competition with our bakery, in clear breach of our contract.

🏚️ Maintenance failures ignored — repeated requests to fix structural issues including roof leaks, power failures and a collapsed wood fire oven went unanswered for years, impacting our ability to operate safely.

⚖️ A termination notice issued in bad faith — after eight years of on-time rent payments, the Foundation issued a Default Notice on 1 April 2026 and a termination notice effective 14 May 2026 — seeking to remove us and keep our  fit-out without compensation.

😟 A neighbouring tenant was recently locked out — despite an existing VCAT order prohibiting it. This is the same organisation now seeking to remove us.

The Abbotsford Convent Foundation receives government funding and public charitable donations. We believe the community has the right to know how those funds are being used — and to demand better.

If we are forced to close:

More than 20 people will lose their jobs in a difficult economic climate

Several team members on sponsored visas face the prospect of losing their right to remain in Australia

Melbourne loses a genuine community institution that has served thousands of families for eight years

We are asking the Abbotsford Convent Foundation to:

Immediately withdraw the termination notice and commit to no re-entry pending mediation

Negotiate a fair five-year lease renewal in good faith

Honour the COVID lease extension obligation under Victorian law

Pay the $102,125.25 in outstanding contributions owed to Convent Bakery

Stop permitting competing bread vendors at the precinct in breach of our exclusivity agreement

We are asking the Victorian Government to:

Review the conduct of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation as a recipient of public funding

Ensure that government-funded arts and cultural organisations treat their small business tenants fairly and in accordance with the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic)

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