Laurent Boillon

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2026 finalist, Australia
Founder, Laurent Bakery

Laurent Boillon is elevating artisan baking and expanding its reach across Asia-Pacific.

Laurent Boillon, a French-born baker from Aix-en-Provence, is the visionary behind Laurent Bakery, an Australian institution renowned for premium French-style artisan breads, pastries, cakes and savory items. By age 10, he was already experimenting with pastries in his family’s kitchen — a passion that later guided his professional training and work across Europe and the Caribbean. In 1991, he moved to Australia with a dream: to bring authentic sourdough and the elegance of French baking to Australian tables.

Two years later, Laurent opened his first store in South Yarra, Melbourne, determined to respect traditional recipes and natural ingredients. His commitment to quality and authenticity quickly resonated with customers seeking “bread à la française” and an alternative to mass-produced loaves. That single boutique bakery soon expanded into a network of retail stores and wholesale partnerships, supplying artisan breads to leading supermarkets and global retailers.

Today, Laurent Bakery’s influence extends well beyond Melbourne. With two state-of-the-art production facilities and strategic partnerships, the brand now delivers stone-baked sourdough and pastries across Australia, Asia and New Zealand, with further international expansion planned. Laurent’s dedication has helped reshape Australia’s bread culture, making sourdough a household staple and elevating expectations for everyday baking. More than 30 years on, his family remains active in the business as he continues sharing the timeless craft of French baking with the world, one loaf at a time.