Who is Charlie?

We opened the doors to Charlie’s Dessert House in 2016 to a line of customers out the door. Since then, we’ve been delighting customers with sweet treats and sugar rushes six days a week, twelve hours a day.

We’re often asked: who is Charlie?

It was always a childhood dream of our founder, Brooke Saward, to open a dessert shop. Growing up on the magical world of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, Brooke has always had an insatiable sweet tooth that has taken her across the globe. From learning to make macarons in Paris to sampling the best baklava in Turkey, her love for sweets was always a driving force behind her travels.

In 2019, Brooke sold the bakery to her parents, Tania and Kent Saward. All three of their children - Brooke, Jessica and Liam, have worked in the bakery growing up and continue to do so.

We have always wanted to bring a special destination to Launceston’s dining scene for date night, sticky dates, and that afternoon cup of coffee you can’t find anywhere else in town. We love what we do and love our staff who have really become a part of our extended - Charlie’s - family.

Fast forward to 2025 Charlies is now proudly owned by Aly and her family. You’ll often see my children Kade and Billie behind the counter, along with friendly faces from our close-knit crew of relatives. Many of you already know me as the person behind the sweet treats. I spent 4 wonderful years working for Tania and Kent before taking the leap to purchase Charlies. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and would love to thank Brooke, Tania and Kent for all the advice, support and business skills they gave me when taking over Charlie’s. Without the help from them we would not be where we are today.

The love for desserts (and this community!) made it an easy decision to purchase Charlies.

We’re all about the sweet stuff, made with love and pride!