Life On The Job


Bakers: Lesley and Roger Gillespie  Founding Joint CEOs of Baker's Delight

Roger and Lesley Gillespie

The Baker’s Delight story

The Gillespies met when Lesley took a part-time job at a bakery in Melbourne while finishing her science degree (Lesley has a BSc (Hons), and a Diploma of Education from Monash University). (Roger is a fourth generation Baker).

By 1980 they were married with a young baby, and keen to create a livelihood for the family. They understood the bakery business well and decided to go out on their own, with a friend Gary Stephenson also joining as a partner in the early years.

“We set up our first bakery in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn on a shoestring budget and the belief that you can do anything in your twenties,” Gillespie says.

“My main aim when we first started was that we would have enough money to choose which schools to send our children to.”

Needless to say, that first bakery was successful. The Gillespies bought out Stephenson in 1982 when he decided to return to full-time study and got bank funding to expand.

By 1988 the chain was now 15 bakeries, but a problem had emerged.

“With each bakery we opened, the sales weren’t as good and the profits weren’t as good, so we could see that we couldn’t go along like this and there had to be a better way of linking the bakery manager’s responsibility, accountability and performance to the profits,” Gillespie says.

“In the 1980s there was a noticeable influx of franchises into Australia – McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut came and were opening multiple sites – so we thought that maybe franchising might be the way to do it. After considerable investigation we flicked over into franchising and we’ve never looked back.”

The company now has 700 bakeries in Australia, New Zealand and Canada (where it is under the COBS Bread brand), all under the franchise model. Gillespie says Baker’s Delight will open its first US store in Connecticut in June this year, with a franchisee confirmed.
(Source: BRW
- Rich Wowen 2015)

Gillespie Family
The Gillespie Family: Bakers Delight executive chairman Roger Gillespie with his wife and Co-chair Lesley and kids Elise Christie (front), Aaron Gillespie and David Christie (back) in their Camberwell store.

Aaron Gillespie is 35 (2015), lives in Canada and manages the operation there, called Cobs Bread. Elise Christie, 33, (2015) and her husband David, are both general managers of operations in Australia.

With over 700 bakeries worldwide and global turnover for Bakers Delight/COBS Bread of $575M in 2012/13, the company earns the title of ‘Australia’s Most Successful Bakery Franchise.'

Over the past 35 years, this Australian success story has built a strong brand with a distinctive image and has fostered a loyal customer base in local communities around Australia.

Bakers Delight holds a healthy 12.7 per cent of the Australian bread market (Roy Morgan Single Source data September 2013) – a stable market based on Australia's love for freshly baked bread, and growing demand for nutritionally sound produce.

New Zealand has over 25 bakeries on both the North and South Islands.

In Canada, Bakers Delight trades as 'COBS Bread'. Since 2003, COBS Bread has grown close to 80 bakeries across three Canadian Provinces. The ultimate goal is to expand this number to hundreds of bakeries. Find out more at www.cobsbread.com

Within Bakers Delight, company owned bakeries represent close to 10 percent of the network. They are an important asset as they provide not only a source of profit, but an excellent training environment.

Behind every delighted customer there lies a Bakers Delight bakery, a bakery operator, 130 specialist support staff, approximately 15,000 bakery employees serving around 2 million customers each and every week.

Bakers Delight Holdings is a member of the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) and Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ).
(Source: Baker's Delight)

Did You Know?

Since 1999, Bakers Delight has raised more than $7.7 million for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA), directly supporting thousands of Australian women and their families through their breast cancer journey.

BCNA and Baker's Delight

2013 was a record breaking year with $1.2 million raised during the Pink Bun Campaign. During the campaign, 100% of every Pink Bun sold goes to BCNA.
(Source: Baker's Delight)

Gillespies believes corporate sponsorship as a key part of the business, and they link their marketing efforts with philanthropy. In 2004, the group gave an estimated $25 million worth of bread to charity.


Roger Gillespie says: "Our franchisees pay about 2% of their revenue to the company for group marketing costs. This goes towards television advertising and other costs of that order. On top of that we try to encourage individual franchises to make extra philanthropic efforts on their own.

BCNA

It might be something like getting involved with the Breast Cancer Network fundraising or it might be a simple effort like sponsoring the "best and fairest" with the local footy team. I believe it all adds up to make a better company."
(Source: Ovations)

 

Story & Update from Monash University about Lesley

Degree type:
Honours
Specialisation:
Bachelor of Science

 

Lesley Gillespie

Lesley’s first full time job was as a secondary school teacher at Footscray High School, starting in 1978, after completing her BSc Hons and Dip Ed at Monash University in 1977. In 1980 she started Bakers Delight in Hawthorn, Victoria with two other partners, Roger Gillespie (her husband) and Gary Stephenson. She had gained bakery experience from working extensively in the Old Style Bread Centre chain (later to become Brumby’s) whilst studying at university.

In 1983 Lesley and Roger bought out their partner Gary Stephenson and they started to develop Bakers Delight which is now the largest national chain of bakeries in Australia with approaching 700 bakeries operating throughout Australia, New Zealand & Canada and more recently the US.

From 1989 to 1999, Lesley also worked part-time as a secondary school teacher at Loreto Mandeville Hall in Toorak Victoria.

In the last few years she and Roger have recently stepped back from the active running of Bakers Delight, sitting only on its Board. Their children have taken on the CEO roles, with their son Aaron over-seeing the Canada and US operations while their daughter Elise and son-in-law David Christie over-seeing operations in Australia and New Zealand.

Along the way there have been highlights and acknowledgements, these include the Boroondara Citizen of the Year 2002 (shared with her husband Roger) and being awarded an OAM in 2006 in recognition of her work in business and philanthropy.

"Giving back is important. Since 2015 the Gillespie Family Foundation has supported the work of the World Mosquito Program whose aim is to eliminate mosquito-borne viral diseases such as dengue fever, zika, yellow fever and chikungunya from the world. This program is a Monash initiative."

Further more recent highlights have been the induction into the Hall of Fame at Swinburne University’s Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship in 2008 (shared with Roger), a Fellowship from Monash University 2013 and in 2015 being appointed as the Chair of the Business School Advisory Board for Swinburne University of Technology, this same University conferring an Honorary Doctorate in Business in 2018. Bakers Delight and Swinburne have had a close involvement over many years in the area of industry based learning (IBL) for Swinburne students.

Giving back is important. Since 2015 the Gillespie Family Foundation has supported the work of the World Mosquito Program whose aim is to eliminate mosquito-borne viral diseases such as dengue fever, zika, yellow fever and chikungunya from the world. This program is a Monash initiative. The Gillespie Family Foundation has supported a wide range of not for profit organisations ranging from secondary school scholarships, research into high nutrient wheat and research into organ rejection.

Lesley sits on a number of boards: The Australian Business Growth Fund, Institute of Public Affairs and Loreto Toorak. She also chairs the Philanthropic Advisory Committee for the World Mosquito Program and is on Monash University’s Change It For Good campaign council.

However, Lesley is most proud of the success of Bakers Delight which has been built on the hard work of a great many people, its core strength is with the franchise network, the people who day in and day out and strive to serve their communities. A great example of Australian endeavour and enterprise.

YouTube Videos


YouTube: Bakers Delight Bakery Careers
https://youtu.be/t6Z2_SPXo0g

 

YouTube: Bakers Delight Twisted Delights
https://youtu.be/QbWE0_dI31c

 

YouTube: Bakers Delight Highton | Zoe's Fight
https://youtu.be/g6-i-ADkvVQ

 

 

 

Victorian entrepreneurs honoured for achievements

Category: Champions of Entrepreneurship

Lesley Gillespie OAM and Roger Gillespie OAM – Bakers Delight

The Champion of Entrepreneurship award is a lifetime achievement award that recognises individuals who: have a long-term record of outstanding entrepreneurial achievement; have driven the growth of an Australian company, or companies, over a sustained period of time; and have made a significant contribution to their community.

Lesley Gillespie is Co-Founder, Executive Director and Joint CEO of Bakers Delight as well as a Director and co-owner of the grocery outlet chain NQR.

Her achievements include being a finalist in the 2004 Prime Minister’s Award for Community Partnerships, receiving the 2002 Boroondara Citizen of the Year (shared with her husband Roger), an OAM in 2006 and a Fellowship from Monash University in 2013 where she gained an Honours Degree in Science and a Diploma of Education. Apart from the ongoing and active partnership of Bakers Delight and BCNA, Lesley is also the patron of the Margaret Pratt Foundation which supports research into transplanted organ rejection.

Roger Gillespie is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Bakers Delight, the largest national chain of bakeries in Australia with over 700 bakeries operating throughout Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Roger has been inducted into the Hall of Fame for both the Swinburne University of Technology’s Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship (AGSE) and the Franchising Council of Australia. Roger has been named ‘Citizen of the Year’ for the City of Boroondara (shared with his wife Lesley) and was granted an Order of Australia for his tireless work within the community. He is a Board member of the Cranlana Programme, a Director of Epic Health, Director of NQR, President of the Australian Retailers’ Association and a Board member of the Bionics Institute.

Links:

BRW: Baker's Delight co-founder Lesley Gillespie on her journey to the BRW Rich Women List

Original copy only on WebArchive

Local copy

BRW Lesley Gillespie

Baker's Delight

Baker's Delight

Monash Uni: Lesley Gillespie

Monash Uni Lesley Gillespie



Business Insider

Local copy [pg 4 - 5]

Business Insider

COBS Bread

COBS Bread

 

Lesley Gillespie's five tips for building a $564 million business

Local Copy [p6 - 7]

5 tips


WA News

WA News
   


YouTube Videos

Mrs Lesley Gillespie OAM -16 May 2018 11am Graduation Address
https://youtu.be/SubBEMuo9pE?si=khaivyQDo_H58VUX


 

 

 

Activities

Baker's Delight - Timeline & Plot Profile

PrimaryPrimary MiddleMiddle

NumeracyAustralian Curriculum General Capability: Numeracy

LiteracyAustralian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

 

TeacherTeacher

Here is the Lesson Strategy on Timelines & Plot Profiles for you to explain to your students.

Timeline
(Source: Indeed)

Students

1. Individually, you are to complete a timeline for Baker's Delight and also add a Plot Profile.

For example:

1992 - The First Bakers Delight TV commercial airs. Plot Profile - what was the commercial? Can you find it on YouTube?


1994 - the first Cheesymite Scroll. Plot Profile: What's the story behind this scroll?

1999 - Partnership with Breast Cancer Network Australia. Plot Profile: Why did BD support this charity?

1999 - Beginning of Bunraiser. Plot Profile: our bakeries in WA began raising funds for the Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth. Bundraiser Day is held every year in the lead up to Easter to support children's hospitals all around Australia.

2004 - Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Community Business Partnership. Plot Profile: Why this top award?

 

2. What will you put on your timeline and information into the Plot Profile? You need to justify your decisions by answer the simple question "Why?"

3. Check with a partner. Did you have the same timeline and Plot Profiles?

 

Creating a new bun or scroll...

PrimaryPrimary  MiddleMiddle High SchoolSecondary

 

CriticalAustralian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability
Australian Curriculum General Capability: Personal and social capability

 

Background to Activity:
   

In 1994, the Cheesymite Scroll was created by a hungry baker as a way to combine two great flavours. It was originally a morning or afternoon snack, but quickly became adopted by Australians as an iconic snack for any time.

Since 1994, we’ve sold almost 72 million Cheesymite Scrolls!
(Source: Baker's Delight)

Cheesymite scroll
Cheesymite Scrolls from Baker's Delight

1. Go to Baker's Delight and find the cost for the Cheesymite Scrolls - for the original, the whole grain and the mini version.

2. Create a Cheesymite Scroll using the following recipe:

Cheesymite Scroll Recipe

3. Work out the cost of creating an individual scroll.

4. How does this cheesymite scroll compare to the Baker's Delight scroll in

  • Taste
  • Cost
  • Appearance?

5. Your new creation

You are to experiment to create a new scroll or bun...What two or three favours would you put together?

Elvis Presley was reported to have like the Fool's Gold Loaf - a sandwich of peanut butter, jam and bacon!

What would you like?

6. Work out the recipe and cook it.

Evaluate: ask other students to blind taste your scroll along with others from the class. How was it rated? What could be done to improve your scroll?

 

 

 

Other Entrepreneurs listed in "Life on the Job"

[Index of all LOTJ people
]

Florence Broadhurst - Fabric & Wallpaper Designer

Florence Broadhurst


Social Entrepreneurs - Young Australians of the Year
Orange Sky Laundry

Orange Sky Laundry
Janine Ellis - Boost Juice

Boost Juice
Jim's Group

Jim's Group

side 5

side bar

side bar

sidebar 9

Jeweller side

side 5

side bar

side bar

sidebar 9

Jeweller side

side 5

side bar

side bar

sidebar 9

Jeweller side

side 5

side bar

side bar

sidebar 9

Jeweller side

side 5

side bar

side bar

sidebar 9

Jeweller side

side 5

side bar

side bar

sidebar 9

Jeweller side

side 5

side bar

side bar