The new face of funerals

For decades, funerals in Australia followed a set script - sombre funeral parlours, complex processes, expensive services and little room for choice. But in 2019, lifelong friends Sam McConkey and Cale Donovan asked a different question: what if goodbye could be a little bit easier?  

Six years on, their answer is Bare - now the fastest growing funeral director in the industry, having supported more than 50,000 families to date.  

Why ‘Bare’?  

Some people see the name ‘Bare’ and assume that means their services are basic. But nothing could be further from the truth. Sam and Cale choose the name not to describe their services, but instead, their philosophy.  

“The funeral industry has traditionally been a bit of a black box. Pricing was confusing, the process complex and it often made an already hard time - even harder,” Sam says. “We wanted to change that. We call ourselves Bare because we lay the process bare for families at every step.” 

For Bare, this looks like simple and transparent pricing, a process designed to make things easier for families and no pushy sales tactics – ever!  

How have they made the planning process easier?  

Sam and Cale saw that the traditional funeral industry often added unnecessary stress to an already difficult time, forcing families into formal parlours to make expensive, rushed decisions. They believed there was a better way: a way that traded fluorescent-lit offices for the comfort of the family kitchen table. 

So what does planning from home actually look like? 

Step 1: Starting the conversation from the comfort of home 

Getting started with Bare is as easy as picking up the phone. Families begin with a call to one of Bare’s End-of-Life team - no awkward sales pitch, no pressure. Just a simple, honest conversation about what’s needed and whether Bare is the right fit. 

Bare Team Member. 

Step 2: Decide which service is right for them 

In many cases, the right decision for families is a simple, direct cremation - if that’s what's right for families, that’s what Bare are here to do. No upsell. No forcing into a service that’s not right. 

Other times, families are looking for a memorial service, held in one of Bare’s many partner venues for a truly personalised farewell.  

Step 3: Working with Bare to plan the perfect service 

If a service is right for a family, then Bare gets to work. Families are paired with a ‘Bare Funeral Arranger’ to plan the perfect farewell for their loved one, online and over the phone.  

Planning a memorial service over the phone might sound impersonal, but in reality many families find it more comfortable and even more meaningful. Without the formality of a funeral home, conversations with a Bare Funeral Arranger tend to feel more natural. Families can talk with their arranger from their kitchen table, with a cuppa in hand, surrounded by loved ones. No suits, no stiff rooms - just real people helping plan something truly personal. 

Step 4: On the Day  

When it’s time for the memorial, Bare’s local team is there on the ground to make sure everything runs exactly as the family imagined.  

Whether a family is after a traditional service, a casual gathering at a pub or something completely out of the box - Bare’s arrangers know how to organise and execute the perfect day. 

Casual Pub Memorial. 

 Step 5: And everything that comes after  

What sets Bare apart isn’t just how they help families plan - it’s how they continue to support them after the funeral. This includes free access to grief counsellors, to support the grieving process and lawyers - who are there to help you navigate the maze of estate administration. Because the hard parts of death don’t end with the service - and neither should care.