Founded in 1957, Guiseppe Corica or Joe as he was known, originally bought the Northbridge pastry business to supply his Perth and Cottesloe restaurants with traditional Italian dessert. Corica Pastries didn’t become a retail outlet until 1972, after Joe had a heart attack and was scared into slowing down. He sold the restaurants and decided to build up the Corica Pastries business as a type of retirement package.
But business boomed, and in 1976 he took on a partner, Tony Puelo. Corica Pastries moved to Lake Street and soon become a Northbridge institution, with Joe and Tony supplying cakes and pastries for significant events in Perth people’s live, such as christenings, engagements, twenty-firsts weddings. Northbridge is the heart of the entertainment district of Perth.
From its inception Corica Pastries has distinguished itself from its competition by the very high quality of its range of continental cakes and pastries. This includes the signature cake, an Italian apple strudel that is very different from the original German strudel.
Over the years, Corica Pastries has develop a strong following among local residents as well as international visitors – especially the Asian neighbours.
Joe passed away in 1989 but his Scottish wife, Dorothy, continue the partnership until 1997 when she bought Tony out. In 1998, wanting to retire she sold Corica Pastries to David Bovell. David bring along tradition and expertise high quality pastry making. The Bovell family is very well known in Perth. It used to own one of the most popular meat pies shops in the up market suburb of Claremont until the business was sold in the mid 1980s.
