Don’t Lose Your Temper’s Anthony Hart

A dessert degustation? Pinch me, I must be dreaming — no, you’re not dreaming, it really is a thing at Don’t Lose Your Temper.

Situated on Johnston Street, Don’t Lose Your Temper (DLYT) offers a mouth-watering selection of high-calibre cakes and savoury items. Their beverage list is all encompassing: think ice chocolates and house-made iced teas to an impressive wine, beer and cider list to complement late-night grazing.

Anthony Hart and Michael Furness opened DLYT to ‘make high-end pastry available at an affordable price and create a space that was comfortable and easy to be in.’ Its cosy atmosphere makes you feel right at home. You can even get a glimpse at the masters at work when you sit at the chefs table.

DLYT’s Dessert Tasting Evenings take cake and coffee to the next level. Think degustation but with a strong focus on the sweeter side while paired with a sinful glass of wine. If you have room for more, take a peek at their dessert cabinet, which is usually filled with signature cakes, house-made peanut brittle and granola.

We asked Hart what makes his life so sweet.

Hart is ‘a big believer in starting at the bottom and working your way up.’ After completing his studies at the Swiss Hotel School in Johannesberg, his first job was with Lebanese ex-soldiers at a large bakery.

‘I always found it so peculiar that these pastry chefs who had been through the wars could create such intricate art. What attracted me most was their sheer discipline to complete each task with such perfection, and that they were so precise and meticulous in the way that they worked.’

Before the travel bug kicked in, Hart was head pastry chef for two years at one of the top five boutique hotels in South Africa. He craved adventure and needed even more from his hospitality journey. A French chef and friend of Hart’s suggested Bistro Vue and his next move was working for Shannon Bennett in Melbourne.

‘I was privileged to get a job as a pastry chef at Vue de monde and moved to Melbourne in 2008. Vue de monde was exactly what I needed at the time. Not only did it give me the opportunity to work with some of the best products in Australia, but I also had the privilege of meeting some of the best chefs in the country and overseas. It also allowed me to hone my skills in pastry and taught me the fundamentals of management, persistence and creative innovation.’

After a brief stint overseas and return to Vue de monde, Hart ultimately left to work as group executive pastry chef with George Calombaris at The Press Club before deciding to start Don’t Lose Your Temper.

DLYT was a wholesale pastry supplier for four years and then Michael Furness – who worked with Hart at Vue de Monde – joined the business. After their products were received so well by their customers, the shop front of DLYT was decided.

‘It’s been a fantastic move as we can contribute to the amazing food culture in Melbourne and have full creative ownership over our products.’

Don’t Lose Your Temper
256 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Open Thursday to Sunday, Thursday to Saturday, 11am to 10pm, Sunday, 11am to 6pm
dontloseyourtemper.com.au