If you wander into The Sugar Mill on any given morning, you’ll probably find co-owner Stacey Ewin dusted head to toe in flour, sleeves rolled up, and hands deep in dough before most of Orange is awake. It’s a way of life for this pastry chef, baker, and mum-of-three who’s quietly building one of the Central West’s most impressive retail and wholesale baking operations.

Alongside husband Darren, Stacey runs two bustling cafés — The Sugar Mill in Sale St and the brand-new Jumbled by Sugar Mill at The Sonic over the road — as well as a wholesale bakery business that now supplies over 60 clients across the region. It’s a business that’s grown as organically as her sourdough starter: from long nights, local roots, and a deep love of the craft.

Raised on a property at Browns Creek near Blayney, Stacey’s childhood was steeped in the kind of country hospitality that would later become her signature. “Mum was the savoury queen — her beef stroganoff and roasts were unbeatable — and Dad handled the sweets,” she laughs. “He’d make dumplings with treacle and a batch of scones before heading out to mark lambs. It’s probably where I got it from.”

Cooking was never just a chore at the Ewin household — it was connection, community, and comfort rolled into one. That early inspiration led Stacey to the kitchens of Sydney straight after high school at James Sheehan and work experience at the Hilton Hotel. “I always knew I wanted to be in hospitality. I just liked being busy, using my hands, never sitting still.”

After the one-year Hotel InterContinental course, her career took her through some of the country’s most demanding kitchens — Mosaic at the Westin, Black Star Pastry in Newtown, and the famed Adriano Zumbo in Rozelle. “They were tough years,” she admits. “I’d work two jobs — mornings at the Manta restaurant in Woolloomooloo, nights in a fine-dining kitchen — 90-hour weeks for $690. But I learned so much.” And met future-partner, Irishman Darren Tracey, a fellow chef at the Manta.

Eventually, the pull of home (and of Orange’s wide skies) grew stronger than Sydney’s bright lights. “I always said I’d come back,” Stacey recalls. “I didn’t want to raise kids in Sydney, and I wanted to do something of our own.”

In 2011, Stacey and Darren bought The Old Mill Café in Millthorpe — “we learned a lot the hard way” — and three years later opened The Sugar Mill in Orange. “We could see Orange was turning into a proper foodie town,” she says. “We wanted to be part of that wave.”

While the town’s café scene was small then — “Byng Street Cafe had just opened” — Stacey and Darren carved a niche with their mix of honest food and exquisite cakes. “We’ve always believed in consistency and quality. You don’t change what’s working — our lemon meringue, carrot cake, red velvet, they’ve been there from the start.”

She waxes lyrical about what she considers their signature, the lemon meringue tarts: “That kind of looks a bit like a cloud, with lemon curd at the bottom with our puff pastry, and then the meringue on top.”

The wholesale side came later, almost by accident. “When our kids were little — twins and a newborn — we realised we needed a proper kitchen space,” Stacey explains. A chance phone call led them to a vacant bakery site on Sale Street. “We took it, and that’s where the wholesale arm was born.”

Today, their bakery runs through the night. Stacey clocks on at midnight to load ovens and laminate croissant dough. “It’s all about timing and temperature,” she says. “Get it wrong and the butter melts, and you lose those beautiful flaky layers.” With over seven ingredients, plus variables such as temperature and timing, there’s a lot to get right each time with something as seemingly simple as a croissant.

Her team now includes an inspiring mix of local apprentices and seasoned hands. “We’ve got such a great crew at the moment,” she smiles. “When everyone’s on the same wavelength, bouncing off ideas, it sparks your inspiration.”

Like many of Orange’s best food creators, Stacey champions local produce. “In summer, I take the kids out to Hillside Harvest to pick plums and apples. We make jams and pastries from what we gather — people love that. They can taste it’s fresh and local.”

They also source milk from Little Big Dairy Co in Dubbo. “They’re family-run, just like us. Supporting each other matters — small business is hard enough as it is.”

Despite juggling midnight baking shifts, school runs, and two cafés, Stacey remains grounded and grateful. “It’s busy, yeah.” Understatement. She’ll often be running on just four or five hours of sleep a day.

Their newest venture, Jumbled by Sugar Mill, has added another creative outlet — and a splash of colour. “We’re still finding our rhythm there,” Stacey says, “but the idea is to bring our pastries into that vibrant, Jumbled atmosphere — fresh, beautiful, fun food that fits the space.”

Future plans include expanding wholesale operations and, hopefully, hiring that elusive trade baker to give her and Darren a little breathing room. “It’s hard to find the right people,” she admits. “But when we do, it’ll let us take a breath and think bigger again.”

Until then, she’ll keep rolling, baking, and leading by example — flour in her hair, energy in her step, and the unmistakable aroma of something sweet in the air.

Instagram: @thesugarmillorange

Cafés: The Sugar Mill, and Jumbled by Sugar Mill (The Sonic) both in Sale St.