Inside the Bread and Butter Project

In a bustling bakery in Sydney’s Inner West, trays of fresh sourdough, muffins and croissants move through the ovens like any other commercial operation.

But at this bakery, every delicious good is produced with a deeper purpose. At the Bread & Butter Project, the mission is to help refugees who have come to Australia on humanitarian visas expand their lives through meaningful employment, training and community connection.

Since launching in 2013, this social enterprise bakery has invested 100 per cent of its profits into training and employment pathways for refugees. Under the leadership of Eva Rabanal, the organisation has grown into far more than a bakery – it’s a place where people find support, grow their confidence, and build connections.

“We operate like any other commercial bakery,” Rabanal explains. “We buy raw materials, we have labour costs, we deliver to customers, and we’re expected to meet the same standards of quality and service as everyone else. But what makes us special is the training program that we run alongside the business.”

Based in Marrickville’s industrial estate, the Bread & Butter Project supports newly arrived refugees through hands-on bakery training combined with wraparound support. Participants receive English tutoring, resume assistance, and practical guidance on navigating everyday life in Australia.

“For many people, we’re their first job in Australia,” Rabanal says. “A lot of participants may have been highly educated professionals in their home countries, but those qualifications often aren’t recognised here. They’re starting from scratch.”
That adjustment can involve far more than simply learning how to bake.

“We help with things many Australians take for granted. Understanding workplace expectations, using public transport, setting up tax file numbers, reading Centrelink letters, calling the bank. Even learning what it means to arrive at work on time or when you can take breaks. Those cultural norms can be confusing when working in a new country.”

The Bread & Butter Project stays closely connected to trainees long after they complete the program. Graduates are guaranteed ongoing support in finding employment, with staff carefully matching people to opportunities that are both practical and sustainable.

“We try to find jobs for people that are logistically realistic,” Rabanal says. “A lot of baking jobs start at 2 or 3am, and many participants don’t drive or own a car. So, we think carefully about transport, travel time and what will genuinely work for them.”

Each year, Bread & Butter Project graduates return for a celebratory event where they share stories, reconnect and reflect. Many stay in touch with the organisation long after moving into employment.

“It becomes much bigger than just training one individual,” Rabanal says. “We care about their families and their communities too.”

That long-term thinking is central to how The Bread & Butter Project measures success. Employment outcomes matter, but so do confidence, language development and intergenerational impact.

“We do before-and-after interviews so we can keep track of how well a graduate’s English has improved, because language can be a key barrier to employment,” she explains.

“But we also look at their families. Are the kids at school? Are family members working? Because when parents can access stable employment, it creates a flow-on effect for the next generation.”

Looking ahead, Rabanal hopes the organisation can continue to grow and eventually move into a larger space capable of supporting even more trainees.

“We’d love to be training 50 or 60 people a year one day,” she says. “Maybe even 100.”

For now, the bakery continues to create opportunity through bread, community and human connection.

And in every loaf that leaves the ovens in Marrickville, there’s a reminder that for anyone, meaningful employment can be about much more than a payslip.