The vintage till is ringing at the iconic Monarch Cake shop in Melbourne’s famous Acland Street and business is brisk, as it has been for the past 90 years. “I love to come in here, chat with the family, get a book, and it's a very special part of my day," says customer Cristina Ceddia. “I love the coffee and I'm addicted to the cheesecake.
" Keeping European traditions alive is a focus for this family business, but its owners are struggling to pay higher prices for premium ingredients. “Everything has gone up. Our eggs have doubled in price, butter has gone up, chocolate, wages, everything has gone up," says Nikki Laski, daughter of the owners.
Source: Supplied / Nikki Laski “And you can't keep raising the prices because people are already stretched. So you have to make less money." Monarch Cakes uses century-old recipes for some of its luxurious lines, like the chocolate Kooglhoupf which now has a cult following.
"We use Swiss chocolate, which we melt and we roll across the pastry and fold into the dough. It's very special, and people love it, so it is our biggest seller," Laski says. “And the way we've been making it is pretty much the way it would've been made back in the late 1800’s.
" Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon Laski remains upbeat about the future, despite inflation remaining stubbornly high and no relief from rising costs. “It's a great honour that it's managed to survive 90 years despite everything that's been thrown at us. So yeah, I'm very proud of .