North End Bakehouse Takes Out the 2023 Great Australian Vanilla Slice Trumph Merbein

The vanilla slice is an icon. The classic bakery dessert can be found, and enjoyed thoroughly, in any town bakery around regional Australia. But which one is the best? Well, for that, it’s hard not to watch closely at the results happening at the annual ‘Great Vanilla Slice Triumph Merbein’.

The Great Vanilla Slice Triumph launched in Ouyen in 1998, following a visit from then Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett who claimed that the vanilla slice from Ouyen’s bakery was the best he ever tasted. The Triumph was held in Ouyen until 2011—with Kennett a judge from 98 until 2005—when the snot block baton was passed to Merbien to continue the tradition.

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Since moving to Merbein, other events have been added to The Great Vanilla Slice Triumph including the National Dried Vine Fruit Bake-off, including Sunmuscat Slice, Sultana Muffin and Plum Pudding sections. The event attracts entrants from around Victoria, as well as South Australia.

After a couple of years of pandemic-affected events and cancellations, The Great Vanilla Slice Triumph was well and truly back on the agenda in 2023, being held in August.

The 2023 event saw North End Bakehouse of Shepparton take out best vanilla slice in Austraila, beating last year’s winner Sharp’s Bakery of Birchip. North End Bakehouse also took out best vanilla slice in the Baking Association of Australia’s Victoria Baking Show earlier in the year.

Since winning at the Great Vanilla Slice Triumph Merbein this year, North End Bakehouse has produced more than 1.6 tonne of vanilla slice.

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