If you’ve ever tried our handmade gingerbread before, you’ll have tasted the passion and care that goes into making it. It’s a flavour that’s stayed exactly the same since Hosome’s founding in 1978 – thanks to a secret family recipe. Over the last 46 years, the business has undergone big changes and survived some chaotic economic circumstances, but our gingerbread remains as delectable as ever. This is the history of Hosome Gingerbread.

 

Our past

Hosome Gingerbread had its beginnings in Mornington, Victoria, in 1978. It was opened by a European couple who ran the business with their children, and originally they were producing a range of baked goods beyond their gingerbread. 

It was in 2000 that the business came into my family, when my uncle, Ba, took over Hosome Gingerbread and purchased it from the previous owners when they were looking to retire. Uncle Ba was a passionate baker, and he’d run a successful bakery for several years before taking on Hosome Gingerbread. He was a positive, loving, and hard-working person who always put family first. Sadly, Uncle Ba passed away in 2006. 

It was then that my father, Martin, took over Hosome and did his best to keep it alive as a tribute to his beloved brother. He ran the business very successfully, staying true to Hosome’s signature family recipe, and eventually moved the business from its original premises in Mornington to its current spot in Keysborough.

 

Our present

In 2021, my father decided it was time for him to retire, and that’s when the business passed to me, Tiffany. Wanting to keep my uncle’s memory alive was a big part of my decision to take on Hosome, and I think that, as it stands, we’ve done him proud. 

Hosome Gingerbread is currently stocked in local bakeries, cafes, and grocery stores across the country, and we’re only growing. You can even find our gingerbread in some IGAs, as we’ve started contracting for a distributor who supplies to independent supermarkets nationwide. We’ve built a fantastic range of gingerbread houses, Christmas treats, and iced cookies, and, if the feedback from our customers is any indication, Hosome’s secret recipe tastes as delightful as ever. 

 

Our future

I’m so proud of the legacy we’ve built with the Hosome name over the decades and feel an incredible sense of responsibility now that it’s my turn to lead the business into the future. 

Currently, we’re planning to expand our range of gingerbread with more designs. We’ve got lots of fun ideas for what to make, and we’re brainstorming and trialling new products all the time. In the long term, we want to expand even further and start producing different types of baked goods; not just gingerbread. We’re taking our time with these goals though, as maintaining the quality of our ingredients and the final product is the most important thing. We won’t release new products if they’re not 100% perfect.

As Hosome continues on its journey, I’m confident that it’s something that my uncle would be so proud of, as we’re still thriving 24 years after he purchased the business. I’m looking forward to a future of more handmade gingerbread with the same delicious flavour that’s made Hosome what it is today. Here’s to another 46 years!