Save Convent Bakery — call for accountability and fair lease renewal

 

We are calling on the Abbotsford Convent Foundation to immediately withdraw its termination notice against Convent Bakery, negotiate a fair lease renewal in good faith, and allow an independent review of its conduct towards small business tenants.

 

In 2018, we purchased the Convent Bakery business in circumstances where the previous operator owed substantial arrears to Abbotsford Convent Foundation. The purchase structure covered over $126,000 owed to ACF by the previous tenant, helped deal with employee entitlements and business debts, allowed staff to be re-employed, and kept this iconic bakery operating for the Convent community.

 

We only agreed to take over Convent Bakery because ACF, promised that a new five-year lease would be provided at the end of the existing lease term. Without that promise, the deal made no commercial sense. We were not going to take on the previous operator’s debts, re-employ staff, invest in the premises, rebuild the business and preserve the bakery for the Convent community if ACF could simply remove us once the business was stabilised.

 

We also say ACF kept the previous tenant’s bond / security deposit while requiring the incoming operator to help resolve the previous tenant’s debts and continue trading. Despite this, ACF now seeks to remove us and potentially benefit from tenant-funded fixtures, fittings, plant and equipment built up over many years.

 

Over eight years, we built a thriving business, employed more than 29 local people — including sponsored visa workers — and became part of the fabric of this important Melbourne heritage site.

 

This is what we say has happened:

 

🔒 COVID closures and disruption
Convent Bakery was prevented from normal trading multiple times during COVID for more than 250 days, even though we say we were legally permitted to trade as a food provider. Despite this, we paid rent as required throughout the COVID period.

 

🥖 Bread exclusivity concerns
We say our right to sell bread onsite has been undermined by ACF allowing bread and bakery products to be sold by competing vendors at markets within the precinct.

 

🏚️ Maintenance failures
We repeatedly raised serious maintenance issues, including roof leaks, power problems, structural concerns and issues affecting core bakery operations. We say these issues were not properly addressed for years.

 

⚖️ Termination shortly before lease expiry
After years of paying rent and operating the site, ACF issued a Default Notice on 1 April 2026 and a termination / make-good notice ahead of 14 May 2026. We believe this was not done in good faith and risks ACF taking the benefit of tenant-funded fixtures, fittings, plant and equipment without fair compensation.

 

🚪 Inspection of restricted areas under false pretence
We are deeply concerned that ACF requested access to Convent Bakery’s internal and restricted areas on the basis that “disability access consultants” needed to inspect the premises. We later learned that people connected to All Things Equal may have attended that inspection.

All Things Equal has since been publicly linked to taking over the Convent Bakery premises.

We believe the community deserves to know why another operator was allowed to inspect our restricted areas, equipment, fixtures and fit-out while we were still operating, and why this was not clearly disclosed to us at the time.

 

📢 Another operator announced before our dispute was resolved
While Convent Bakery was still trading and still seeking the promised lease renewal, another operator was publicly linked to opening at Abbotsford Convent. We are concerned ACF was progressing a replacement operator before our lease dispute, COVID extension issues, unpaid contributions and tenant-owned fit-out issues were properly resolved.

This raises serious questions about transparency, fairness, conflict of interest, and whether ACF intended to benefit from the fit-out and infrastructure built and funded by tenants over many years.

 

😟 VCAT ordered ACF to reopen Kappaya
We are also deeply concerned that ACF recently locked out a neighbouring tenant, Kappaya, despite an existing VCAT order. VCAT later ordered ACF to reopen Kappaya. This raises serious concerns about ACF’s approach to small business tenants and compliance with Tribunal orders.

The Abbotsford Convent Foundation receives public support, government funding and charitable donations. We believe the community has a right to ask how small business tenants are being treated at this important public heritage precinct.

 

If Convent Bakery is forced to close:

More than 29 people may lose their jobs.

Sponsored workers may face serious consequences for their visa status and future in Australia.

Melbourne may lose a genuine community institution that has served families, visitors, artists and locals for years.

 

We are asking ACF to:
immediately withdraw the termination notice and commit to no re-entry while the dispute is before VCAT;
negotiate a fair five-year lease renewal or new lease in good faith, consistent with the promise made when we saved the business in 2018;
honour its COVID lease extension obligations; pay the outstanding $102,125.25 in contributions owed to Convent Bakery;
stop permitting competing bread vendors in breach of our exclusivity rights; explain who authorised access to Convent Bakery’s restricted areas and who attended that inspection; disclose whether any incoming operator has been offered the benefit of Convent Bakery’s tenant-funded fit-out, fixtures, fittings, plant or equipment; commit to fair treatment of Convent Bakery, Kappaya, and all small business tenants.

 

We are asking the Victorian Government to:
urgently review the conduct of Abbotsford Convent Foundation as a recipient of public funding and charitable support;
ensure government-funded arts and cultural organisations comply with the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic) and treat small business tenants fairly;
protect community businesses that provide jobs, services and cultural value; consider whether current ACF management and board members should remain in their positions pending an independent review.

Given the seriousness of what has occurred, we believe the responsible ACF management and board members should step aside or stand down pending an independent investigation.

 

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Save Convent Bakery. Support small business. Protect community spaces. Demand accountability.