I wonder what it's like having a reputation that constantly means words like 'icon' and 'famous' and 'must-visit' are thrown around with abandon. There must be a fair bit of pressure to perform. Dunsborough Bakery is one of those places: it's on the tourist maps together with the Visitor Centre and local cop shop. The type of place you are expected to go out of your way for.
Pies at the Dunsborough Bakery
We stopped by on our way back to Busselton. Our mission was to secure a car load of pies, jam donuts, vanilla slice and lamingtons for kids and adults who had built up an appetite. We got the pies and jam doughnuts, but they had run out of lamingtons and vanilla slice (I thought it was in the Australian constitution that Aussie bakeries made vanilla slice and lamingtons and NOT run out by lunchtime).
Now in its 70th year, the bakery has developed a reputation for many of its products but in particular its pies, and it's for these little gems that the trip becomes worth it.
The lunchtime crowd at the Dunsborough Bakery
The Dunsborough Bakery makes around eleven varieties of pies plus quiche, sausage rolls and pasties. They are very reasonably priced at $5.50 each for the pies and $4.90 for the rolls and quiches. A large blackboard over the counter lists the available varieties with 'SOLD OUT' marked next them as they disappear. You have been duly warned: get in early.
I ordered the Surfer's Pie, which is pretty funny because the thought of me in a wetsuit is just gross. But it does evoke my favourite meal of the day: breakfast. It's basically breakfast in a pie and pretty close to perfect. Cubes of bacon, egg, and cheese are wrapped in a light, flaky pastry, with a layer of BBQ sauce in the base. I had finished it before we were out of the carpark, and wish I had another. It's not particularly healthy, but nothing a good lie down won't fix.
The bread and rolls are meant to be excellent, and the kids enjoyed their vegemite scroll although I thought it looked a bit crusty. It was generous in size and reasonably priced at $3. The jam doughnuts were good although nothing exceptional at $3.
There are all the usual suspects at the Dunsborough Bakery
If pasty is not your thing, they offer pre-made 'gourmet continental' rolls at $6.50. They also make practically every sweet baked treat known to mankind including apple pies, carrot cake, éclairs, hedgehog, custard tart, danishes and cheesecakes, all priced between $3 and $4.
Although there are a few tables and chair in the bakery, this isn't a dining destination. Busy at all times of year, we found service was quite slow. Half a dozen staff were working, but there were only two tills. Because of this, it means staff are dependent on memory alone (no fancy electronic devices here) and this is where mistakes are made. In our case, it turned out in our favour, but it was only when we were a mile down the road that we realised. So it might be prudent to do some mental math before you pay, just to check.
