Bakeries are a prized commodity on the Mornington Peninsula (Boon Wurrung), and we’re luckily home to some of the state’s finest across both sides of the coast from Port Phillip Bay to Western Port and Portsea.
From the top to the bottom you’ll find your classic operators, skilled in the art of the sausage roll, the humble pie and the classic vanilla slice, however, you’ll also find artisans, pastry specialists, sourdough savants and small-batch producers all in tow as well.
Searching for the best bakeries on the Mornington Peninsula, step this way:
Miller’s Bread Kitchen
Dromana
Open since 2019 in a former mechanics’ garage in Dromana, Miller’s Bread Kitchen has steadily grown into somewhat of an institution for the Mornington Peninsula. The warehouse space just off Nepean Highway is always teeming with locals and visitors alike and regularly features a line queueing out the door for the bakery’s glowing line-up of products.
Helmed by Rebecca Graley, Vanessa Miller and head baker Tyler Miller who honed his craft at Babka in Fitzroy, the trio have developed a repertoire that would rival inner-city Melbourne spots. Stepping inside Miller’s you’re met with wall-to-wall baked goods, from their staple croissants, danishes and standout cinnamon scrolls, to loaves of sourdough bread, baguettes, focaccias, square pizza slices and incredibly stacked sandwiches.
Find out more about Miller’s Bread Kitchen here.
Johnny Ripe
Main Ridge
Now primarily a wholesale operation while their new bakery is being built (stay tuned here), the Johnny Ripe baked goods can be located by their van, pop-ups which they announce on Instagram, they’re also stocked in cafes right across the peninsula.
Renowned for pies of all persuasions they quickly rose to fame with their sugar-dusted apple pies which come in a very dangerous single-serve as well as a full family size. Also on offer are the sausage rolls and savoury pies, each perfectly encased in pastry with flavoursome and quality-filled ingredients from chunky beef and rosemary to chicken and vegetable all elevated by homemade relish and chilli jam.
Find out more about Johnny Ripe here.
Flinders Sourdough
Flinders
Set just off the main drag, Flinders Sourdough is bringing back the traditional slow-ferment method of bread to the peninsula. Using all-natural and organic ingredients the cottage on Cook Street is home to a slew of baked goods and breads all baked with their own wood-fired oven.
The team are famous for their namesake sourdough breads which are rich in texture and flavour but they also stock a whole slew of savoury and sweet goods, from pies to their cult-favourite beach buns. You can also pick up some sourdough starter to kick off your own baking journey.
Find out more about Flinders Sourdough here.
Tuerong Bread Farm
Tuerong
Responsible for some of the finest bread and milled flour on the Mornington Peninsula, Tuerong Farm Bread utilises both ancient and modern grain which results in an all-star line-up of rustic breads, baguettes and even bagels.
Passionate about their ‘Real Bread’ ethos the team has set up a bake space at their farm in Tuerong which is open Thursday to Sunday and gets you up close and personal with hefty deep-brown baked fruit loaves, sourdough cinnamon scrolls and more.
Read more about Tuerong Bread Farm here.
Good Food Bakery
Mornington
Purpose-designed for those who prefer or need to stray from gluten, Good Food Bakery is an oasis for gluten-free baked goods of all varieties. Resting on the roadside of Bungower Road in Mornington stepping into the bakery you’re met with shelves lined up with breads of various styles, cakes, pies, slices, croissants and even doughnuts, all baked with supreme quality and taste and Coeliac Australia accreditation.
Though there are many options it’s the pies here that shine brightly, balancing a flakey and crisp pastry with a hearty beef mince filling, if you’re looking for something on the sweet style opt for carrot cake or the churros.
Find out more about Good Food Bakery here.
Store 360
Rye
Sitting on a sleepy strip of shops on the backside of Rye near the ocean beaches, Store 360 is a local haven for coffee, pastries, sandwiches or a classic sausage roll. Although not technically a bakery the shop stocks freshly baked bread and pastries from local producers Red Hill Bakery.
Typically heaving with workers, surfers and holiday goers, the light-filled shop is filled with various products and gifts from local producers, from ceramics, artwork, plants and homewares.
Find out more about Store 360 here.
Red Hill Baker
Balnarring
Despite the name, the bakery is actually located in the country coastal surrounds of Balnarring on the Western Point side of the Mornington Penisula. Baking fresh daily using locally sourced ingredients, the Red Hill Baker is a serious operation, that displays fridges loaded with shelves upon shelves of pies and cakes along with a collection of seasonal specialities.
A family-run affair with both the parents and children at the helm, the two generations have incorporated more traditional methods in their baking from long-ferments for the breads to slow-braising for the pies. There’s a dizzying amount of options here from all the staples like vanilla slices and lamingtons to more contemporary creations like vegan brownies and almond croissants.
Find out more about Red Hill Baker here.
Butterken Bakery
Mt Eliza
Specialising in organic and German-style bread, Butterken is a charming bakery operation in Mount Eliza. The tidily spaced shopfront leads you into the main shop from which an assault of colour-rich and crusty sourdough loaves, golden brown pretzels and croissants take a centre gaze with a full kitchen and baking space behind.
All made utilising traditional sourdough methods including baking with starters the bread has a dense depth of flavour. Adding to the German aesthetic of the shop are the pretzels which are baked to a perfect deep chocolate colour and can be put to the sword plain or filled with cream cheese and chive, there are also the cinnamon snails which are dense with cinnamon and cacao and cultured butter.
Find out more about Butterken Bakery here.
Header image by: Ella Taylor
