By CASEY NEILL
POLISH Rye Crust Bakery’s menu brings a part of Poland to Dandenong each day.
Now its efforts to share a European Christmas with its customers has earned it top prize in the Festive Window Display competition.
City of Greater Dandenong’s economic development unit ran the contest across the municipality over the past month.
Finalists Menzline, Knit ’n’ Purl and Christies Café will receive a framed certificate, and visual merchandiser John Elliott will visit Polish Rye Crust Bakery post-Christmas to make over its window.
Owners Hanna and Andrew Lipiszko created a winter wonderland using fake snow, lights and hand-baked decorations.
“All the Christmas trees and snowmen are made out of gingerbread and meringue,” Andrew said.
“We’ve also got a nativity scene made out of bread. The roof that looks like timber is made of bread, it’s all edible.
“After Christmas the kids can actually get into it.
“We tried to make decorations using our own skills, not just decorations widely available everywhere.”
Andrew said the display was a night-time scene, with a black backdrop and glittering stars.
“It looks awesome in the early hours of the morning before the sun comes up,” he said.
“We didn’t want to just put up a Christmas tree. We wanted to make it exciting.”
There is a Christmas tree inside the shop, though, and plenty of tinsel, bells and Christmas carols.
“Next to all the decorations we have a singing Santa,” Andrew said.
“When people walk past he starts to sing. Sometimes we have to turn it off during the day!
“We always get into the Christmas spirit.”
