Althea by Zin

Althea by Zin is an artisan bakery and patisserie in downtown Mudgee, and it's one of those places visitors and locals alike seem to plan a morning around. The bakery combines traditional baking methods with ingredients from the organic and biodynamic Lowe Family Wine Co farm and local suppliers, and you can taste that care in the bread.

Sourdough is a big part of the story here, including a spelt loaf one local singled out. Alongside it you'll find breads, pastries, savouries and coffee, all made to be eaten fresh from the oven. Croissants come up again and again, from the ham and cheese to the almond croissant and pain au chocolate, and people describe them as flaky, buttery and properly crisp. The sausage rolls have a following too, in pork and fennel and chicken versions, and one local called the chicken pastry the best thing they ate in all of Mudgee. The house-made tomato sauce is a nice touch. Pies get plenty of praise, including a Kiwi pie that suits breakfast, and the sweet side runs to canele, fruit tarts, tiramisu and Basque cheesecake.

The coffee has a good name as well, and the staff are friendly. Both takeaway and dine-in are offered, and out the back there's a courtyard garden with rustic seating that people love on a sunny morning. There's free street parking nearby, a wheelchair-accessible entrance and car park, and card and mobile payments are accepted.

Be ready for a queue at busy times, and the best pastries do sell out early, so earlier is better if you have your heart set on something. Most locals agree the wait is worth it. A couple have found savouries a touch cool for their liking, but that's the exception.

The bakery posts morning-to-early-afternoon hours across the week, so it suits breakfast or a late-morning stop, though it's worth checking the hours before you head in.