Oatley Village Pie Shop

Oatley Village Pie Shop is a handmade pie bakery in Oatley, New South Wales, and pies are what it's known for. The chunky beef, the pepper steak, the chicken and the potato pie, plus a sausage roll, get mentions locally. One local summed up the chunky beef as having the right balance of gravy to meat, a flaky top and a solid base that holds together to the last bite.

The range is wide for a neighbourhood pie shop. Beef and mushroom and beef burgundy are favourites with the regulars, and vegetarian and pescatarian eaters get a proper choice rather than a token option. Pies come hot to eat straight away or cold to take home and heat later, which suits a weekend stop that turns into dinner. One person who has been coming for close to thirty years says they've never failed to find a pie to suit as their own diet has changed.

The staff get a good word too. The women behind the counter come across as kind, polite and clearly know their pies, and the village feel of the place makes it pleasant to eat in as well as grab and go. They also do coffee, takeaway and delivery, and they handle catering for events. The shop is wheelchair accessible, and there's free street parking nearby. They take cards and mobile payments.

Some locals find the pies on the pricey side, especially if you're hungry enough for two, and the odd person has found the pastry or the temperature of a pie not quite right. Most of the talk, though, is of generous fillings and pies worth coming back for.

Hours run through the week with slightly shorter days on weekends, so check before you head in if you're timing a lunch run. If you're after a proper pie shop in Oatley, this is the one people keep recommending.