Canberra ACT
It may be famous for Parliament House and national landmarks, but Canberra’s burgeoning food scene is second to none, with its bakeries among the best in the country.
Tradition meets invention in Canberra’s food scene, where a millennial wave of bakery owners sit alongside baking legends. The winner of this fusion is Canberrans and visitors to the nation’s capital, who get to delight in the results.
Among the bakeries of Canberra ACT you’ll
find Dobinsons, an institution in baking which draws on 125 years of tradition to deliver on their breads, gourmet pies and pastries.
Whether you’re visiting during summer or winter, we’ve collated a list of bakeries you won’t want to miss.
1/ Dobinsons
Dobinsons is something of a Canberra ACT institution, having been baking some of the capital’s best-loved breads, gourmet pies and pastries for more than 20 years. Dobinsons attributes its success to the five generations of hard-working and dedicated pastry chefs who all greatly contributed to the family legacy of producing the highest quality pastries. This tradition began in Northern New South Wales, where the first Dobinsons bakery opened in the town of Kyogle some 125 years ago. Dobinsons is renowned for its relaxed atmosphere and decadent displays of tarts, slices, cakes and crumbles.
Our pick: Cherry pie
2/ The Flute Bakery
Fyshwick’s The Flute Bakery is best known for its amazing cakes. The French provincial-style bakery is a haven for lovers of all things sweet. Its shelves are lined with temptations such as dulce de leche cheesecake, pistachio and white chocolate bavarois, pear and almond tart, delicate macarons and flourless chocolate and hazelnut cake. They also make a mouth-watering selection of gourmet pies, with the chicken chasseur and beef and red wine flavours being customer favourites.
Our pick: Flute sacher torte
3/ Three Mills Bakery
When A.Baker’s bakery business outgrew its NewActon site, the decision was made to move the bakery part of the business to its own separate location. And so, Three Mills Bakery was born. From its new Majura Park premises, the team produces an incredible menu of hand-formed, long-ferment, wild yeast sourdough breads using house-milled flour and specialty grains. The philosophy is all about handmade, artisan products that are as good for you as they taste. Varieties include quinoa and walnut sourdough, kibbled wheat and rye, orange and raisin loaf and ancient grain sourdough, to name just a handful. There’s a selection of pastries as well, including danishes (sour cherry and spiced apple), croissants, tarts and cinnamon escargot.
Our Pick: Sourdough baguette
4/ Bread Nerds Bakery
As the name suggests, Bread Nerds are pretty serious about their loaves. Here you’ll find a range of artisan breads, with sourdough made from natural leaven yeast and delicious New York-style boiled bagels. The team’s focus is natural flavours and wholesome ingredients that are healthy as well as tasty. They do this by using natural ingredients free from artificial colours and flavourings. Locals rave about the delicious, chewy bagels and incredible almond croissants in particular.
Our Pick: New York-style bagel
5/ Knead Patisserie
With a focus on organic ingredients, Knead Patisserie creates a range of rustic breads, baguettes and traditional bagels from scratch on a daily basis to the delight of Belconnen locals. Racks are lined with a heady array of sourdough, light rye and cobb loaves, while shelves feature a drool-inspiring assortment of crème brulee tarts, frangipane, chocolate ganache and berry cheesecake tarts, as well as individual cakes, muffins and pastries. Knead Patisserie also makes gourmet sausage rolls and pies, sandwiches, quiche and authentic pizza for those wanting to grab a quick bite for lunch.
Our Pick: Coconut ganache tart
6/ 210 Degrees Patisserie & Bakery
A true suburban gem, 210 Degrees Patisserie & Bakery is located in the Hughes Shopping Centre and is known for its fabulous coffee and beautiful cakes. The bakery’s shelves are lined with fresh, crusty loaves, pastries, tarts, slices and buns. The sinful Snickers brownie is a crowd favourite few can go past, while the range of gourmet quiches and pies is always expanding to include new flavours.
Our Pick: Snickers brownie
7/ Danny’s Bakery
A true mum-and-dad bakery, Danny and Anne have been running Danny’s Bakery since 1984. Today, Danny is assisted in baking by his sons and grandsons while Anne runs the shop, sometimes assisted by her daughter and granddaughter. The family business is loved by Canberrans, with Danny’s sourdough fruit loaf being the star seller. Everything is made using fresh, wholesome ingredients. There’s a fantastic assortment of bakery staples (think custard tarts, lamingtons, jam and cream doughnuts, etc) as well as heavenly cakes to delight their loyal clientele.
Our Pick: Sourdough Easter buns
8/ Silo Bakery
Described as “part Brooklyn, part wartime Parisian bakery”, Kingston’s Silo Bakery + Café is something special. So much so that locals queue in order to nab a loaf of vollkornbrot rye bread or a cheeky pain au chocolat for breakfast. Their artisan breads offering includes Italian casalinga, walnut sourdough baguettes and ciabattini rolls, to name a few. There’s also a selection of tarts, with flavours such as vanilla brulee, pear and caramel, hazelnut, honey and chocolate, and cherry and almond. As tempting as those sound, it’s really hard to go past the innate simplicity of a piece of sourdough rye slathered in Silo’s specialty truffle butter. Divine.
Our Pick: Walnut sourdough baguette
9/ Crust Bakery
Owners Nick and Louise Smith started Crust Bakery at the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets in 2010. Between them they have more than 50 years of experience and have been part of the Canberra ACT baking scene since the ’80s. Their focus lies in “making bread interesting again, making pies pleasurable once more, and making cakes even more enjoyable than ever”. The bakery offers a range of sourdough and grain breads, not to mention gluten-free bread as well. There’s also a range of pies with more than 12 flavours to choose from.
Our Pick: Chickpea curry pie
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