Almost everyone has a soft spot for a bloody good pie and here in the Illawarra, we’re lucky enough to have a whole stack of excellent bakeries dishing up the goods. Here’s our list of hand picked favourites after scouring the best pie shops in the Illawarra. We did some serious research from the Northern suburbs, through Wollongong, Shellharbour and as far as Jamberoo. It was delicious, exhausting and required some unbuttoning of jeans, but the results are in:
Albion Park Cakes and Pies
187 Princes Hwy,
Albion Park NSW 2527
A business like this doesn’t stick around for over 50 years unless they’ve got a seriously good thing going on. Much loved by their community, Albion Park Cake Shop offer a range of gourmet pies along with some top quality sausage rolls. Drop in to the back of the shop cafe to grab a wicked meat pie and a coffee on the run.
Recommendation: Try the cheese and bacon pie.
Berkeley Cakes and Pies
2/65 Winnima Way
Berkeley NSW 2506
Here’s prime example of what it means to be part of the local community. These guys are always supporting the Illawarra, whether its’ Saving Chloe Saxby, fundraising for Port Kembla and Shellharbour hospitals or the RSPCA.
Lisa from Berkeley Cakes and Pies says,
“We pride ourselves on not only having the best pies in town but more importantly, the best customer service. Running a small business can be tough and Covid has proved that but we have been overwhelmed with the support of our customers and feel as though even though it’s been such a tough year for so many people, coming into the bakery and having a laugh and a chat with us really brightens our day and reminds us what life is all about.”
Figtree Bakehouse
34 Princes Hwy,
Figtree NSW 2525
The locals have been spreading the word about the savoury offerings found here and both the pies and sausage rolls get the thumbs up. If you’re looking to be the hero of the household at dinnertime, pop in to Figtree Fresh Meats, right next door and grab one of Gracie’s delicious family pies. A pie in the oven along with some roast vegetables is such an easy mid week meal and a guaranteed crowdpleaser.
Kings Patisserie & Cafe
1/18 Allowrie St,
Jamberoo NSW 2533
This little business has soared as its’ reputation has grown over that past 6 years. Owner/operator Warren Southwell has gone from doing all the baking on his own to being able to employ 2 apprentices, 2 pastry chefs and a kitchen hand. Every product is baked fresh daily on site and if you love a breakfast bakery run, you can score yourself a stellar steak pie as early as 6am, 7 days a week!
Pilgrims
2/242 Princes Hwy,
Corrimal NSW 2518
If you’re one of those purists who don’t believe a pie is a pie without meat, I challenge you to go out on a limb and drop in to Pilgrims. Their vegetarian pies aren’t on the menu all the time and when they are, they sell fast. Mouth watering combos such as spinach and lentil curry will satisfy hardcore carnivores that bravely venture out with an open mind!
Sareven Bakehouse
365-367 Lawrence Hargrave Dr,
Thirroul NSW 2515
The team at Sareven Bakehouse are passionate about making sure every single customer leaves happy. They reckon their plain pie is their best seller, which goes to show that sometimes it’s about doing the simple things well that matters! Open every day from 7am, this is a great place to stop after jumping out of the surf.
We’re always on the look out for new food discoveries, so if you have any recommendations for where to find the best pies in the Illawarra, please drop us a line here!
