Spotlight: Christine Beecham & The Australian Bakery Café

New owner, new chapter — same iconic meat‑pies in Marietta Square

From Rock‑Bottom to Running a Marietta Landmark

Christine Beecham first entered through the back door of the Australian Bakery in 2021, simply hoping for steady work and a fresh start. She had just completed a 10‑month transformation with The Extension’s  women’s recovery program—followed by months of sober‑living check‑ins and hard‑won new habits. Washing pans at dawn and rolling dough by hand became her daily proof that life could taste sweet again.

Then the “God‑winks” began: mentors cheering her on, regulars asking for her by name, and—most surprising of all—the original owners, Neville Steele, Mark Allen, and Wendy Anderson, pulling her aside:
“Christine, this place needs someone who loves it the way you do. Why don’t you buy the bakery?”

She and her husband, Jesse,  prayed, ran the numbers, prayed some more—and said yes. By August 2023, Christine held the keys to a 22‑year-old Marietta Square landmark, living proof that second chances can come from trusting in yourself and ‘taking the leap’.

Today every pie that leaves the oven carries a quiet message to anyone fighting their own battle: Your story isn’t over. Keep going—there’s something beautiful waiting on the other side.

“I came in lost; they handed me an opportunity.
Now I get to honor their legacy and show other women what’s possible after addiction.”
— Christine Beecham

Honoring an Aussie Legacy

Fast‑forward to today—Christine is keeper of a decades‑deep Aussie tradition.

Christine laughs when she remembers her first shift behind the counter: “I’d never even seen an Aussie meat pie, let alone eaten one.” That changed the day Neville insisted she try the curry‑lamb straight from the oven. One forkful turned curiosity into loyalty, and now the Curry Lamb and the hearty Steak‑and‑Mushroom are the pies she recommends most.

“Neville is the heartbeat of this bakery, and his recipes are our compass,” Christine says. So the classics stay exactly as he created them—no tweaks, no shortcuts.

The ovens still hum with possibility. Christine can’t help but dream up new treats—a peach‑filled seasonal pie, a bright lemon‑myrtle pavlova, even a chocolate‑hazelnut lamington. But every idea must pass one simple test: Would Neville and Mark smile at the first bite? If the answer isn’t a resounding yes, the recipe never leaves her notebook.

Community, Confidence & Second Chances

Taking the reins of a 22‑year Marietta institution could shake even the steadiest hands, yet Christine says the Marietta Square welcomed her with warmth —loyal regulars never missed a visit, and newcomers kept streaming in through word‑of‑mouth ritual without missing a beat, and new faces continue to wander in—often guided by enthusiastic word‑of‑mouth .

That steady stream of encouragement has done more than keep the ovens hot; it has rebuilt her confidence. “Every kind comment, every full pastry case that’s suddenly empty—it reminds me I can do this,” she says. The gratitude runs both ways: one of her proudest milestones is now sponsoring Sisters of Sobriety, the very recovery group that once helped her find her footing.

“The biggest reward?” Christine says. “Day‑to‑day, it’s watching a customer bite into a pie I baked and getting to see how I am contributing to the success of our community. On a deeper level, it’s being able to look women in recovery in the eye and say, ‘I’ve been where you are—and you can get here, too.’ Both moments feed my soul in different ways.”

One Thing You Might Not Know

Mums of little Bandits and Blueys, heads up: those fluffy pavlovas your kids giggle over on TV? They’re waiting for you on the Square. Every pie, sausage roll, lamington and each cloud‑light pavlova is still baked the old‑school way—no shortcuts, just the same TLC Neville’s family used in rural Australia three generations ago. Bring the kiddos, snap a pic of the meringue‑and‑cream masterpiece (I’ve got one ready for the blog!) and watch their faces light up when “dessert like Bluey eats” lands on the table.

Plan Your Visit

📍 48 S Park Square, Marietta, GA
🍴 Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch & anytime cravings
🌐 Order nationwide shipping or local pickup at australianbakerycafe.com

A Note on Hope

If Christine’s story resonates, know this: help is out there. The Women’s Extension program in Marietta (and similar recovery resources) turns “rock‑bottom” into “new beginning” every day. Reach out, show up, keep going. https://theextension.org/

See you on the Square 
– Nicole, Merry in Marietta