A beloved Greek pastry is making its way into the Melbourne food scene, with Kosta Kostidis opening what is described as Australia’s first shop dedicated entirely to bougatsa.
Kostidis and his mother, Martha Oplopiadis, are behind Bougatsaki, a small shop on Sydney Road in Brunswick serving flaky filo pastry filled with sweet semolina and vanilla custard.
For Kostidis, bougatsa is more than just another Greek dessert. It is a taste of home and a family tradition passed down by his grandfather.
“It’s like a Greek vanilla slice,” Kostidis says, describing the pastry to explain its appeal to Australian customers.
“In Greece you see it at every corner shop. Every corner shop is its own little bougatsa shop. I wanted to bring something like that down here.”
From family recipe to Melbourne shop
Kostidis began making bougatsa at home using a recipe from his grandfather after a back injury forced him to step away from his work as a plumber.
His grandfather had been a baker in Greece and came from Serres in northern Greece, a region closely associated with bougatsa.
What began as home baking soon turned into a business.
About a year ago, Kostidis took Bougatsaki to the Northcote Festival, where the pastries sold out within five hours.
The success led to regular appearances at football matches, markets and festivals across Melbourne, but Kostidis eventually realised that the mobile setup was limiting the business’s growth.
The opportunity to open a permanent location came through family connections to the Melbourne based LaManna fruiterers.
Bougatsaki now operates from a small tenancy inside Italiano’s Fresh Produce on Sydney Road, Brunswick.
The pastries are prepared at a food production facility in Footscray, using filo pastry imported from Greece. Kostidis then collects the bougatsa and bakes it fresh at the Brunswick shop.
Traditional bougatsa and Melbourne twists
Customers can order the traditional version, finished with icing sugar and cinnamon.
Bougatsaki also offers variations including Nutella, Biscoff and honey and walnut.
For those who prefer savoury flavours, there is also a spinach and cheese version inspired by gozleme.
Despite the modern variations, Kostidis says the family connection remains at the heart of the business.
His grandfather, who taught him the recipe, has been especially proud to see the idea grow.
“He’s over the moon,” Kostidis says. “He kind of lives through me now. The biggest thing is that I put a smile on his face.”
For a Greek community that has long embraced loukoumades, galaktoboureko and other traditional sweets, Bougatsaki is introducing another classic to a wider Melbourne audience.
And Kostidis has a simple ambition for the business: to make bougatsa as familiar to Australians as it is to Greeks.
Bougatsaki
Address: 403 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Melbourne
Phone: 0402 517 737
Opening hours:
Wednesday and Thursday: 9am to 6pm
Friday and Saturday: 9am to 8pm
Sunday: 10am to 5pm
