Spanning 243 kilometers of Australian National Heritage-listed coastline, the Great Ocean Road is an epic journey of pristine and raw nature beckoning to be experienced. As with any great Aussie road trip, what better way to do it than by stopping off at one of the great bakeries or chocolates on the way to sate the appetite, delight the tastebuds and check out what other bakers are doing in this glorious part of the world?

Spanning such a vast strip of coastline, of course there’s a lot to see when you’re traveling the Great Ocean Road. Natural wonders, historic towns, nature walks and some of the best beaches in the world.

There’s also a big foodie movement in this southern strip and there’s a great mix of traditional bakeries offering quality products and new game-changers that are doing something a little different, including hybrid stores with expansive offerings – something we see popping up more and more.

1/ Apollo Bay Bakery

Apollo Bay Bakery is renowned for their mouth-watering scallop pie, made with fresh ingredients and beautiful crispy pastry. They do an extensive range of gourmet pie, with flavours such as the beef stroganoff pie, chicken parma pie, red curried vegetable pie and vegetable and chickpea korma pie. Apollo Bay Bakery also offer a range of classic cakes made to order and have a café where visitors can sit down and enjoy a meal with a coffee or tea – and maybe even see a whale swim by. Sourdough, breads, slices, tarts, scones and doughnuts are also amongst the many delights on offer.

Our pick: Scallop pie

2/ Great Ocean Road Bakehouse

Great Ocean Road Bakehouse is set in the beautiful beachside town of Lorne. It offers the public a great variety of traditional baked goods such as pies, pastries, cakes, slices and artisan sourdough breads, with everything baked fresh daily. They also serve organic Mahalia coffee, which goes great with a sweet treat.

Our pick: Pastie

3/ 2 Tarts Baking

At 2 Tarts Baking, they make all kind of sweets from old-fashioned favourites to signature cakes, one of a kind’s and tiered wedding cakes. They also bake cupcakes, cheesecakes, fruit tarts, French macarons, eclairs and more. They don’t use pre-mixes or preservatives, make everything from hand and are sure to remind you of the kind of sweet treats granny used to make.

Our pick: Rose and raspberry opera cake

4/ Great Ocean Road Ice Creamery and Chocolaterie

Created by passionate foodies Ian and Leanne Neeland, Great Ocean Road Ice Creamery and Chocolaterie is not your average ice cream shop. Stop off at this gem and you’ll be treated to free chocolate and home-made ice cream tastings and have the opportunity to explore their spectacular showroom filled with thousands of chocolates. They also have an on-site café, the Pod Café, where the menu showcases produce from their kitchen garden, as well as decadent desserts, fondue, ice cream, pastries and tarts. You can even share in their love of chocolate and book in to one of their chocolate tasting sessions or workshops.

Our pick: Chocolate truffles

5/ Nordefine

Nordefine is a family-owned business with three locations in Victoria: Torquay, Anglesea and Geelong West. Their aim is to make people happy and feel good with their premium ice cream, sorbet, gelato and frozen yoghurt by going above and beyond expectations of your average ice creamery. Nordefine have more than 100 flavours under their belt, with 32 on offer every day. New flavours are created ’round the clock depending on what’s in season. They also make ice cream cakes made to order, as well as fruit juices, shakes and milkshakes.

Our pick: Choc mint ice cream

6/ Freshwater Creek Cakes

A small country store with a big reputation, Freshwater Creek Cakes on Anglesea Road specialises in sponges. Their range includes a vanilla chocolate sponge, homemade quiche, tea cakes, fruit cakes, biscuits, truffles, florentines, slices (including hedgehog and caramel), and coming into Christmas, mince tarts and Christmas cakes. All of their products are handmade and while they have a country bakery vibe, they make 30,000 sponges a year and distribute throughout Victoria.

Our pick: Vanilla chocolate sponge cake

7/ Oaks Bakery Cafe

Oaks Bakery Café is a go-to all rounder for everything from bread, cakes (including birthday cakes), pastry, fresh focaccias, and slices, which are all baked onsite. But, Oaks is perhaps most well known for its great range of around 15 types of gourmet pies. Its best sellers are their prawn and scallop pies and for sweet treats, it’s their vanilla slice. There’s seating outside for visitors where they can enjoy a coffee and something fresh to eat from the bakery. It’s a busy bakery, particularly in the summer time when tourism in the area booms. The owner, Dean, has owned the bakery for 10 years and it’s a labour of his love. He and his parents have backgrounds in Bakers Delight, which inspired him to start his own venture.

Our pick: Steak and curry pie

8/ Bells Bakery

Opening in 1999, Bells Bakery’s pies and cakes are very popular, and they’re baked fresh every day. On staff they have three bakers and a first year apprentice who are always up for a chat. It’s a community-focused bakery offering a tradie and school kids discount, and caters for special events including fundraisers and sports events. Customers can have a sit down and a coffee, and even taste test their gourmet range of jams, spreads, dips and sauces. Some of Bells Bakery’s specialty items include Texas muffins, lamb rolls and pizza bread.

Our pick: White mud cake with choc drizzle