From Space Engineer to Pretzel-making extraordinaire
A stone’s throw from the bustling Port Wakefield Highway, in the idyllic crabbing town of Thompson Beach, resides a remarkable German lady with a story as unique as the treats she bakes.
Once a Space Engineer (believe it or not), Fiona Hall managed a project for a space telescope that journeyed all the way to Exmouth in Western Australia. Now, she has traded the cosmos for the art of crafting delectable German pastries.
Fiona’s transition from space engineer to German baker began when she found herself yearning for the flavours of home. “I missed pretzels.”
“So after 16 years I thought I am going to have to learn how to make them.” An ambitious task for someone who confesses she can’t cook. In fact she balks at the thought of being required to throw a salad together for a barbecue. But, she can “do baked goods until the cows come home”.
Fiona (apparently an exotic name for a German born lass), mastered the art of creating the authentic German dishes she missed, from scrumptious pretzels to delicate strudels, crumbly streusel and traditional Black Forest Cake.
Another of her desires, was to have a house not attached to another one. “There’s so little space in Germany.” And she found a dreamy little abode, so blissfully quiet you can hear the wind on the waves. Her aptly named bakery, “Salt”, reflects its location between the salty Samphire Coast and the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary.
Salt’s German delights have become a regular treat at popular SA markets, with a weekly stall at the Adelaide Farmers Market at Wayville on Sundays and the Barossa Farmers Market in Angaston each Saturday morning. Fiona and her partner Jonas, who she refers to as her “Swedish Chef”, have also been popping up at markets around the regions in the lead up to Christmas.
Dreaming of opening a cafe at Thompson Beach, Fiona faces challenges due to the lack of mains water supply, so for now offers custom orders, which can be collected from the beachside bakery or one of its market locations.
“Who knows, maybe someday I can have a hole in the wall, where people can come and collect their bakery treats and go and sit and eat them looking at the water.”
Having fulfilled her own craving for freshly baked pretzels, Fiona’s favourite part of trading engineering space equipment for pretzels, has been watching on as her customers are transported to the heart of Germany, with the familiar aroma of homegrown spices and authentic German treats. “You don’t get that raw emotion doing spacey stuff”.
All the Salt deliciousness can be ordered online, and can also be ordered wholesale for cafés, restaurants, breweries, food vans and anybody else wanting to capture the authentic German flavour.
For more details visit Salt
