Alex Riviere started his baking career selling bread and pastries out of a little stall at his local markets.
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Now, as the owner of Black Cockatoo bakery in Lawson in the NSW Blue Mountains, he's received the praises of former MasterChef Australia judge Matt Moran.
In a recent interview with Executive Traveller, Mr Moran was asked if any Australian food destinations are underrated and deserve a moment in the spotlight.
Among spots in Millthorpe and Orange, Mr Moran singled out Black Cockatoo, describing it as "a phenomenal bakery in Lawson".
"So I'm going to say that area from the Blue Mountains over to the Central Tablelands, it's just getting better."
Mr Riviere was flattered to receive kudos from the celebrity chef.
"To impress someone like him [Matt Moran], that has all these years of working with food people and with the best in different fields, it's amazing," he said.
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Mr Riviere said that Mr Moran would often stop at the bakery on his trips through the Blue Mountains.
"He likes our product, especially the almond croissant, and the almond pan chocolat," Mr Riviere said with a smile.
Mr Moran has even commented on an Instagram post searching for the best almond croissant in Australia, naming Black Cockatoo's pastry as his pick.
"Nothing close as far as I'm concerned", he commented on a Broadsheet Sydney post.
Mr Riviere reached this point from humble beginnings.
Originally working as a chef in the kitchens at the Blue Mountains Botanical Gardens at Mount Tomah, he began baking at home and taking his bread to work for people to taste.
While he could prepare the bread at home, he had nowhere to bake, and so was delighted when the Blackheath restaurant Vesta agreed to let him use their woodfire oven overnight.
Soon he was selling his baked goods outside cafes and to local markets, like outside Katoomba co-op and to Lawson's Lyttleton co-op.
Eventually, his hard work paid off.
"Maybe after a month or so I would come [and] start setting up, and I would see people already queueing there. And I remember this wave of emotion that I had, I was like 'what are they waiting for? Is the co-op open, are they waiting for the club to open?' And then I realised they were waiting for the bread to arrive," he said.
"I was moved to see that there was people liking the bread that I did, and that many."
With a young child it was a difficult choice to abandon the security of a job as a chef and try to start a business without savings. Mr Riviere said it wouldn't have been possible without the support of his wife, Lulu Samuel.
Today, Black Cockatoo has a shop in Katoomba and in Lawson, with the latter being its home base for baking.
The bakery uses all Australian ingredients, organic and sustainable wherever possible, and bakes with ancient grains for nutrition and flavour profile.
Mr Riviere thanked his staff, saying their passion and hard work got him where he is today.
Black Cockatoo bakery is open from 7.30am to 2pm, or until sold out, Wednesday to Sunday. The shops can be found at 1/1 Staples Crescent in Lawson, and 165 Katoomba Street in Katoomba.
