My MUSE | Petra Galler
Hello everyone,
Olivia here, to introduce you to this week’s MyMUSE: the passionate, fabulous and deliciously creative Petra Galler.
A rising star in the world of heavenly baking, Petra started her business, Butter Butter, during the 2019 Covid lockdowns. Having worked in kitchens across New Zealand and Australia for more than a decade, Petra took her skills and created a gorgeous, vibrant and totally irresistible cake empire. Melbourne couldn’t get enough – and now, New Zealand can’t either. With a recently launched cookbook under her (very chic) belt, Petra truly is taking the baking world by storm – one delicious bit of butter at a time.
A much-loved friend of MUSE, Petra epitomises feminine-meets-sexy-meets-
I sat down with Petra to talk about taking chances, building a business, and the sexy simplicity of a slip dress.
Petra, hello! Can you tell me a bit about Butter Butter, and how you got to where you are today?
Hello! Butter Butter, like so many other small businesses, was born out of Covid. I was working in Melbourne as a pastry chef and like most people in the industry, found myself out of a job when we went into lockdown. It was a pretty scary time, and without much thought, I set up my Instagram page and started selling out of my Fitzroy apartment. I was incredibly lucky that from the start I was inundated with orders and Butter Butter has grown organically ever since. My cookbook, of the same name, published by Allen & Unwin, came out in April 2023, and it has been a fantastic launching pad for so many cool opportunities and something I'm really proud of. I have been working for myself for 10 months now and it has been a wild ride. Totally stressful but unbelievably rewarding and liberating. You couldn't drag me back to a restaurant kitchen now if you tried!
What kind of cakes do you offer? Do you have a favourite?
I work on a request basis, so often customers come to me with a very vague brief, sometimes just listing flavours that they like and then I will create something bespoke for them. This keeps it really fresh and fun for me, as I'm not often making the same thing day in and day out. In general though, all the cakes have a little twist to them. I love pairing unconventional flavours together, lots of different textures; I would say my offering errs slightly on the European side of things. You won't find me making the somewhat pedestrian banana cake that is for sure! My favourite cake changes frequently but at the moment I'm deep in my pistachio era. It really is the chicest of all nuts!
What does a day in the life of Petra Galler look like?
Every day is a little bit different (one of my favourite things about working for myself) but generally my day starts with an unhealthy amount of coffee, a habit I must break! I try to be a matcha girl but I just can't do it!
I walk to Sala for a barre or Pilates class most mornings; great for counteracting the heinous amount of cake batter I consume! The classes there are so great and it's just such a beautiful space to start your day in. The rest of the day is filled with baking for orders, recipe writing and research. I'm a total geek when it comes to food; I can spend hours scouring online looking at recipes and food trends. Once work is out of the way, you can most likely find me at Madame George on K' Road, indulging in their ever so dangerous Pisco Sours.
On top of being a Cake extraordinaire, you always look amazing. How would you describe your personal style?
Thank you!! I would say my personal style is a bit of a hybrid. I love to feel feminine and sexy; I am a big fan of colour and am trying to wear more of it. That being said, I love a low key look of elevated basics; well-cut pants, great shirts and tees. I am a huge denim girl, 27 pairs of jeans and counting. I just can't stop myself! Feeling comfortable makes you confident so that is always my number one rule. Even if I am in the kitchen all day, I make a point of wearing a fab outfit; nothing lifts the mood faster!
What are you wearing a lot of at the moment?
Auckland weather has really been turning it on of late so I have been living in slip dresses. They are so simple but sexy and easy to wear, I'm obsessed with them. The Staud Misty dress has also been on high rotation; the perfect amount of saucy and wearable.
What is currently on your MUSE wishlist?
Quite literally the entire store; you should see my online cart, haha. The Victoria Beckham Twisted Slouch Jean is total perfection and really plays into my worrying denim obsession. The Christopher Esber Minette flats are to die for. Dress wise, the STAUD Le Sable Dress in Starry Night is just so fun and flirty; I'm a sucker for a bit of sparkle!
