19 Pie Shops Around Australia That Are Worth The Road Trip
Sure, it might be easy to claim that Australia has none of its own food culture, that while we love and perfect food, little of it was invented by us. To all who would claim that, however, I would first like to remind you about Lamingtons and Pavlovas. Secondly, I would like to discuss the Aussie meat pie.
There is nothing more quintessentially Australian than a meat pie, except perhaps a road trip. A meat pie on a road trip? Well that’s just next level.
Whether you’re staying in your own city for now, or planning a trip, we’ve rounded up the best pies in Australia to mark off your ‘must try’ list. Your tastebuds can thank us later.
Australian Capital Territory
Elaines Gourmet Pie Cafe
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Not just any old meat makes it into the pies from Elaines, they only use tender, slow cooked pieces of meat. They have a huge range too, from traditional favourites like chunky steak to unique combinations like their macaroni, bacon and shallot pie. They don’t skimp on size, either.
They have three locations across the Canberra — in Fyshwick, Dickson, and Phillip. Details here.
Crust Bakery and Café
Started by Nick and Louise Smith back in 2010, this Fyshwick Fresh Food Market staple has been a hit with the locals ever since. Every day they offer a different 12 pie flavours, including vegetarian options, like Spinach & Feta, Chickpea & Curry and Rosemary & Shiraz.
New South Wales
Heatherbraes Pies Sutton Forest
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You may not have realised, but the Southern Highlands are actually a hot spot for award-winning pie makers, with over 30 pie outlets in the region. In particular, Heatherbraes are famous for their 2019 NSW/ACT Best Pie-winning Ned Kelly Pie — made with steak mince, baked with egg, bacon and cheese.
Gumnut Patisserie
Located in Mittagong, Bowral and Berrima, the locals know to line up early on weekends or risk missing out on the famous pies of Gumnut. The most popular option, as proved by many awards over the years, is their Eden Pie, with beef that has been braised overnight in beer from their neighbours, EDEN brewery.
Glenorie Bakery Café
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An easy 45-minute drive from the Sydney CBD, Glenorie Bakery is a family-run business whipping up more than 300 freshly baked goods every day. They have an extensive sweet and savoury pie menu to choose from, with a range of decadent eclairs for dessert.
Northern Territory
The Bakery
With a name that knows it’s all that, The Bakery in Alice Springs actually is, all that. Absolutely everything is baked from scratch, using only the highest quality ingredients. Their pastry is made from real butter, and the quirky pie flavours are made fresh from top quality, locally sourced meats and vegetables.
Tommo’s Pies
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Baking pies since the 70s, Tommo’s in Darwin have discovered that it’s best to keep it simple and classy, with a range of classic pie flavours on offer, plus a few gourmet varieties like Thai chicken curry and a vegan Mexican chilli bean pie. It’s easy to pop into as well, just off the Stuart Highway.
Queensland
Yatala Pies
This Queensland landmark has been kicking for over 130 years, selling a whopping 3,500 pies a day. It’s no wonder they typically have a line up that runs out the door, seeing as they’re an easy 30-minute drive from Brisbane with a huge range of savoury and sweet pies.
Old Fernvale Bakery
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Over their three decades of making pies and more, Old Fernvale Bakery has won its fair share of awards — plus the bakers who work there are themselves the winners of hundreds of national pie and baking awards. You’ll never get bored of your pie here, with over 100 different flavours of pies including emu, crocodile and Vegemite and cheese flavour.
Sutton’s
Pay attention when someone tells you about Sutton’s, because their faces always light right up. This Stanthorpe bakery is famous for its apple pie. Each one is handmade with zero processed products and using only apples they grow on the property from February to May, and other local orchards the rest of the year.
South Australia
Apex Bakery Barossa
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This artisan bakery based in Tanunda of the Barossa Valley is known as the area’s original wood oven bake house. It’s got a slightly wild history — starting in 1924 and hiring an actual 12-year-old who eventually took over — and is located in such a gorgeous area it probably makes the pies taste better.
Port Elliot Bakery
A seaside bakery about an hour’s drive from Adelaide, located on the coastline between the towns of Victor Harbour and Middleton. It’s been a staple in the area since the 1860’s, drawing cues of up to 25 metres just to get in over the summer months. Try the ‘Pie of the month’ which have recently featured Hawaiian Steak and Red Wine Mushroom pies. Their doughnuts are also out of this world.
Tasmania
Blue Edge Bakery
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Tasmania is famous for its Scallop pies, and no-one does it better than the family-owned Blue Edge Bakery in Bicheno. In fact, they even won the Best Scallop Pie award in 2019. They offer a range of other freshly baked goods each day as well, all in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
Ross village Bakery
Between Launceston and Hobart is one of Tasmanian’s early garrison towns, Ross. This is one of the original bakeries, operating on its current site for over 100 years. Their wood-fired oven alone is a unique piece of colonial history, and the whole place looks like Kiki’s Delivery Service, for Studio Ghibli fans.
Victoria
Kyneton’s Country Cob Bakery
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Just last year in 2019, these guys took out first place for The Baking Association of Australia’s prize for best pie thanks to their Caramelised Pork and Pepper Pie. Co-owner and head baker Ryan Khuan combines the flavours from his home country of Cambodia with classic Australian tastes.
Gladysdale Bakehouse and Tea Rooms
A truly local pie, the bakers here only use grass-fed beef from farms up the road, and red wines from the surrounding Yarra Valley, to create their famous Beef Burgundy Pie. If one is note enough, they make family-sized pies that you can take away with you.
Western Australia
Pinjarra Bakery
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We love a family-owned bakery, particularly when it also goes home from the Great Aussie Pie Comp with 14 gold, three silver and one bronze for their range of tasty pies, including first place for best mince pie. They now have four locations — Pinjarra, of course, as well as Maddington, Waroona and Port Kennedy.
Bindoon Bakehaus
Apparently this bakery is a favourite with Prince Harry, so you could say the food is basically royalty. They have a range of classic flavours, like pepper steak, to famous unique flavours like Moo and Blue — that’s steak with a blue cheese centre. They’re also Sustainable Tourism Accredited, to top things off.
Croc Cafe Bakery
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There are a lot of amazing things to look at in the Kimberley’s, but when you’re done marvelling at nature you also need to refuel with unique flavoured pies at Croc Cafe Bakery. We’re talking crocodile and barramundi pies, just for starters. And yes, there are some giant crocodile statues outside.
(Lead Image: Instagram / @pinjarra_bakery)
