Meet Mette - Owner and Founder
A Taste of Home
Passion has an extraordinary way of propelling us beyond our comfort zones, inspiring us to pursue our dreams and create something remarkable.
For Mette, Owner and Founder of Mette is Baking, whose baking journey is fuelled by passion and was initially sparked by her ancestry roots and Nordic culture, her approach to baking is a testament to her attention to detail and dedication to honing her craft.
Mette is not only a talented baker, but is a genuine, warm and welcoming person who enjoys the opportunity to bring joy to others. Mette’s commitment to exceptional customer service and her ability to make anyone feel like a long-lost friend has earnt her a loyal following to those who seek her delicious, crunchy and nutritious crackers.
Interviewer: Mette, tell us more about what inspired you to starting baking Nordic crackers?
Mette: I had travelled back to Denmark, my homeland, when I was reacquainted with traditional Danish crisp bread, something I had once enjoyed as a child. But the crisp was different. Tantalising and exquisite, it was a cracker that was now made full of healthy seeds and was deliciously crunchy. My childhood memories of a cracker I had once enjoyed had been re-invented.
I had always been passionate about baking, especially growing up on my family’s farm, which was near a small Danish village. When I returned from visiting family and friends, I began experimenting in my kitchen at home trying to recreate my own version of the Danish crisp bread I had become infatuated by.
I followed a traditional Danish recipe and carefully selected just the right blend of ingredients to create my own crackers. I began gifting them to family and friends and baked them fresh for guests to enjoy when I entertained.
Soon after I had the opportunity to attend a local market and baked 40 boxes of crackers which sold out in a matter of hours, word began to spread so fast! So, I took a leap of faith and decided to start Mette is Baking.
Interviewer: Did you have any previous baking or business experience?
Mette: No, I didn’t have any baking experience – only what I had baked at home, but not on a commercial scale. I graduated from university as a Chemical Engineer, my career has taken me all over the world working in the oil and gas industry. An opportunity arose to move to Perth, Western Australia to continue my career in the energy sector. It’s where I met David, my husband. We moved to China for three years during which time we visited family and friends in Denmark – that’s when I discovered the crisp bread. Then when we came back to Perth to live, I knew it was time for a career change and that’s when I founded Mette is Baking.
I immersed myself in researching, and learning the art and science of baking and through trial and error and experimenting tirelessly, I refined my recipes and techniques until I achieved the perfect balance of flavours and textures in both my traditional and gluten-free crackers.
As for running a business, I didn’t have any previous experience doing that either. I found a great network of local food brands who kindly gave me so much insight. The Small Business Development Corporation, my local council – the City of Melville and the Baking Association of Australia were instrumental in helping me set up my business. I still lean on them for support today.
Interviewer: How has Mette is Baking grown since you began your business in 2015?
Mette: Over the past 8 years there has been a lot of change at Mette is Baking. We built a purpose-built bakery; we’ve employed staff and have been the recipients of 25 awards in just six years!
Plus, having built a network of retail and wholesale customers in Perth, there became a real demand for our crackers in regional towns across Western Australia and as well as on the east coast of Australia. People were contacting us after having tried our crackers while visiting Perth or having received the crackers as gifts from friends and family in Perth, wanting to know where they could purchase our crackers from. We looked at having purpose-built bakeries in the eastern states, but Covid got in the way and with the rise of online shopping we began offering our crackers for purchase online through our dedicated e-commerce site, which guarantees our crackers are made fresh to order and shipped directly to our customer’s door.
Our team of bakers are instrumental in helping us achieve what we have been able to achieve in our short history. I am proud and honoured to have such a wonderful group of ladies be part of our team, baking our crackers freshly made to order each day.
Since 2018 we have received 25 awards – something I am truly proud of. Our most recent awards, saw Mette is Baking as the recipient of two gold medals and the champion trophy – the highest accolade as part of the 2023 Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards.
Interviewer: Congratulations Mette! That’s wonderful news. What do you think sets Mette is Baking crackers apart from other crackers in the marketplace?
Mette: I believe it’s the consistent quality we provide in our crackers, which is something that can be difficult to achieve in baking due to variations in ingredients. I deliberately seek the finest quality, locally sourced ingredients to not only ensure our crackers are high quality but are also highly nutritious.
I developed the Mette is Baking cracker recipe to ensure our crackers are bursting with flavour. I only include pure, uncomplicated and natural ingredients in our crackers including a wholesome mix of super seeds – Linseeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds and Sesame Seeds which are all rich in nutrients, essential vitamins and minerals and are packed full of dietary fibre.
And, all the crackers we send to be judged as part of the award process are taken directly from our everyday production line – we bake our crackers daily, made fresh to order, by hand in our artisan bakery. So, I know what our customers buy and taste is the exact same product as the award judges’ taste, evaluate and determine quality and taste.
Interviewer: You launched a new product line recently – can you tell us more about the dip mixes?
Mette: Yes, we launched a dip mix range, which I think is truly complementary to our crackers.
Just like our crackers, which are gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free and free of preservatives, additives and colours - the dip mixes are bursting with flavour. All-natural spice mixes are designed to be mixed through natural yoghurt, sour cream, or plant-based alternatives. Each dip mix has been carefully crafted to replicate true Nordic flavours – Pikant, Hygge Mix, Scandi Summer and Viking Herbs.
Interviewer: Tell us a bit more about Mette, where can we find you when you’re not baking award-winning crackers?
Mette: Spending time with loved ones is important to me. I enjoy building Lego or doing craft with my granddaughters. I also enjoy inviting family and friends for meals at my home where I love to create delicious, mouth-watering dishes in my kitchen to share.
I enjoy creating heartwarming meals and I’ll be sharing many of my treasured recipes on the Mette is Baking blog so you can follow along and hopefully be inspired to create something delicious for your loved ones too.
Creativity is a big part of my life – you’ll often find me knitting or crocheting no matter where I am, whether it’s in the car on a journey to the South West of Western Australia to deliver my crackers to wineries, restaurants and local gourmet food shops when we travel, when I need to relax or when I am watching television. Knitting has always been a big part of my life, I think I have knitted every day for the last 50 years! I love it, it’s so relaxing for me.