What Refrigeration Does a Bakery Need?

A refrigeration guide for bakeries, cake shops, patisseries and bakery cafes: what needs to be kept cold, which cabinets to buy, the right temperatures and what to check
By the Chill Pro Refrigeration team · Updated October 2026

Most bakeries need four kinds of refrigeration: a chilled glass-fronted display for cream cakes, slices and other filled products, a glass-door fridge for cold drinks and grab-and-go lines, cold storage out the back for dairy, fillings and dough, and a freezer for frozen dough, pastry and ingredients. Bread and dry baked goods do not need refrigeration, but anything with cream, custard, fresh fruit, meat or cheese does.

This guide is for owners of bakeries, cake shops, patisseries and bakery cafes in Brisbane, Sydney and across Australia who are fitting out a new shop or replacing old cabinets. It covers which products need to be cold, the cabinets to choose, the right temperatures, the bakery floor and what to check before you buy.

What needs to be kept cold in a bakery

A bakery sells a mix of products, and only some of them need refrigeration. The usual split is:
Keep cold: cream cakes, cheesecakes, custard tarts, vanilla slices, cream buns, and anything with fresh fruit, cream cheese or a dairy filling.
Keep cold: sandwiches, rolls and wraps with meat, egg, cheese or salad, and savoury lines served cold.
Usually fine at room temperature: bread, rolls, plain cakes, biscuits, muffins and most dry pastries, displayed on racks or shelves.
Serve hot: pies, sausage rolls and pasties belong in a hot display, not a fridge.

Food safety rules in Australia treat foods with cream, custard, dairy, meat or egg fillings as potentially hazardous, which means they must be kept at 5°C or colder. Check with your local council for the rules that apply to your shop.

The cabinets most bakeries need

A chilled glass-fronted display is the centrepiece of most bakeries. It shows cakes and slices at eye level, keeps them at a safe temperature, and lets staff serve from behind the counter. Chill Pro deli serve-over display cases are glass-fronted chillers from 1.3 m to 3.8 m long, which suits a counter run of chilled lines.

A glass-door upright fridge carries cold drinks, milk, iced coffee and packaged grab-and-go lines. It holds temperature well in a busy shop and lets customers serve themselves. Our guide to the upright chiller explains how these cabinets work and what to check.

A small open-front or glass-door fridge beside the counter suits pre-packed sandwiches, wraps and single drinks for impulse buys. Our guide to the self-service fridge covers which lines suit it and the food safety rules that apply.

Out the back, cold storage holds milk, butter, cream, eggs, fillings and dough that is resting overnight. Many bakeries also run a freezer for frozen dough, pastry sheets, butter and finished stock, and a glass-door display freezer on the shop floor for ice cream or frozen lines. See Chill Pro display freezers for the range.

What temperature should bakery fridges be?

Chilled display and cold storage: 5°C or colder for anything with cream, custard, dairy, meat or egg.
Freezers: −18°C or colder for frozen dough, pastry and finished stock.
Drinks fridges: 5°C or colder if they also hold milk or dairy drinks.

Check the product with a probe thermometer, not just the display reading, and keep a simple daily temperature record. Our guide to what temperature a commercial fridge should be explains the rules and the 2-hour and 4-hour guide in more detail.

Heat, flour and the bakery floor

A bakery is one of the hardest places for a fridge to work. Ovens, provers and hot displays push heat into the shop, and the front door often opens all morning. Keep chilled cabinets away from ovens, pie warmers and direct sun from the front windows, and check the climate class of every cabinet. Chill Pro display fridges are rated for an operating environment of 32°C and 60% relative humidity, which suits a warm Queensland or New South Wales shop. Also check:
Ventilation: plug-in cabinets release heat from the condenser, so leave the clearance the maker specifies around each one.
Power: each cabinet needs a suitable outlet, so check your circuits before delivery, especially with ovens on the same board.
Access: measure doorways, corridors and any steps between the delivery point and the final position.

If you are fitting out the whole shop, plan refrigeration and baking together. Chill Pro QUBI ovens are commercial ovens made for bakeries and restaurants, and we can quote them alongside your fridges and freezers. To measure the floor, counter and doorways, see our guide to sizing a display fridge.

Keeping bakery fridges running well

Flour dust and a warm room clog condensers faster than in most shops, which makes a fridge work harder and use more power. Clean the condenser regularly, check door seals, keep air vents clear of stock, and let hot product cool safely before it goes into a display. Our guide on how to clean and maintain a commercial fridge sets out a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly checklist.

Warranty, delivery and finance

Chill Pro supplies display fridges and freezers from Brisbane and Sydney, with freight Australia-wide and a 2-year parts and labour warranty. Chill Pro Trusted Finance Partners offer competitive rates in the market — ask us about it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What refrigeration does a bakery need?
Most bakeries need a chilled glass-fronted display for cream cakes and slices, a glass-door fridge for drinks and grab-and-go lines, cold storage for dairy, fillings and dough, and a freezer for frozen dough and pastry.

Do cakes need to be refrigerated in a bakery display?
Cakes and slices with cream, custard, cream cheese or fresh fruit need to be kept at 5°C or colder. Bread, plain cakes, biscuits and most dry pastries can be displayed at room temperature.

What temperature should a bakery display fridge be?
A chilled bakery display should hold product at 5°C or colder, and a bakery freezer should run at −18°C or colder. Check the product with a probe thermometer, not just the display reading.

Where should fridges go in a bakery?
Put the chilled cake display at the counter so staff can serve from behind, the drinks fridge where customers can help themselves, and keep every cabinet away from ovens, provers, pie warmers and direct sun.

What should you check before buying a bakery fridge?
Check the climate class for a warm shop, the rated energy use per day, the cabinet size against your counter or wall, power and ventilation clearance, the delivery path to the final position, and the warranty.

Fitting out a new bakery or replacing tired cabinets? Tell us what you sell and the space you have, and get a quote for fridges and freezers delivered to your door. We are based in Queensland and New South Wales and freight Australia-wide.