Celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi breaks his silence on uncertain future after he was forced to shutter bakery following Bondi terror attacks
Better Homes and Gardens star Ed Halmagyi has broken his silence about the heartbreaking closure of his Jewish bakery in Sydney, following the Bondi Beach terror attack earlier this month.
The Australian celebrity chef, 50, has made the painful admission that he is unsure what is next for him, after he was forced to close his bakery Avner’s following ‘years of antisemitic abuse’.
‘I’ve been pretty much at a dead stop. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I woke myself up the other day and told myself I have to get on with things,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.
His shock announcement comes two weeks after Halmagyi was forced to close Avner’s in the wake of the Bondi attack, with the veteran presenter admitting he may have to return to the workforce after years of self-employment.
‘I want to do a couple of things immediately. I don’t want to lose the traction I’ve had with engagement with my Jewish community,’ he said.
‘Avner’s was a wonderful project that enabled me to stand up for and stand up with Jewish Australia. But there will be other ways to do that. I’m really keen to explore what they might be.
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Better Homes and Gardens star Ed Halmagyi has broken his silence about the heartbreaking closure of his Jewish bakery in Sydney, following the Bondi Beach terror attack
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The Australian celebrity chef has made the painful admission that he is unsure what is next for him, after he was forced to close his bakery Avner’s following ‘years of antisemitic abuse’
‘I love cooking and hospitality, so maybe I have to find a job. I’ve always worked for myself, so I don’t know how that’s done.’
Earlier this month, Halmagyi announced the closure of his Jewish bakery Avner’s in Sydney, just days after the Bondi terror attack on December 14.
The Australian celebrity chef, lovingly known as Fast Ed, said his decision to shut the doors of the popular store followed years of antisemitic abuse.
A heartbreaking note was posted on the store’s front confirming the bakery would shut down after opening in 2024.
‘In the wake of the pogrom at Bondi, one thing has become clear – it is no longer possible to make outwardly, publicly, proudly Jewish places and events safe in Australia,’ it read.
‘After two years of almost ceaseless antisemitic harassment, vandalism and intimidation directed at our little bakery, we have to be realistic about the threats that exist going forward.
‘Those concerns are now clearly more pressing and more serious. Even in the wake of this terrorist incident, threats have continued.
‘As an open and very public business that operates at all hours, we are unable to ensure the safety of our staff, our customers, our families.
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His shock announcement comes two weeks after Halmagyi was forced to close Avner’s in the wake of the Bondi attack, with the veteran presenter admitting he may return to the workforce after years of self–employment
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Earlier this month, Halmagyi announced the closure of his Jewish bakery Avner’s in Sydney, just days after the Bondi terror attack on December 14
‘And so we have made the only decision available, one that truly breaks our hearts. Avner’s is closed.
‘We are so grateful to everyone with whom we have been able to form a community and for the love we have been given.’
It comes after Halmagyi admitted he felt ‘stupid’ for underestimating the ‘building’ threat against the Jewish community.
His Surry Hills bakery has received written abuse, verbal abuse and vandalism weekly since opening.
‘We have been five to six days a week subject to graffiti, vandalism, hate letters, busted windows – for two years I’ve put up with this,’ he told ABC Sydney radio host Chris Taylor.
The beloved baker recently sold 1,000 doughnuts to celebrate the Festival of Lights, but not before he was forced to face the sad truth about running an openly Jewish business.
‘The first thing I had to do was remove stickers from the outside of the business saying “Jews kill babies” and “go back to where you came from”,’ he candidly revealed.
It comes after fifteen innocent people – including a 10-year-old girl – were killed during Australia’s second worst mass shooting on Sunday at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, while 40 others were injured.
Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid Akram, 50 – who was shot dead at the scene – have been named as terror suspects responsible for the killings.
Twelve people injured the attack remain in a critical condition today, while a further 26 patients are in various conditions across seven hospitals in Sydney.
