Wild Rye's Baking Co

Wild Rye's Baking Co is an artisan bakery and coffee roastery in Pambula, on the NSW Far South Coast, and it has a name locals are quick to pass along to anyone driving through. If you're after a bakery in Pambula for a proper pie, this is the one people send you to.

The pies are the main event. We've heard from people who ate their way through plenty of pie shops on a trip up the coast and called off the search once they got here. The steak and kidney gets high praise for its generous filling and a gravy that holds its own. The pepper steak has won over whole families, and others rave about the beef and red wine mushroom, the chunky beef and the Thai chicken curry. If you'd rather skip meat, the pumpkin lentil pie and the cheese and spinach pasty are both filled well and taste great. The pastry is fresh and crisp, and pies come out hot.

Sourdough is the other thing to look for. They make organic loaves, and one local raves about the beautiful crust on the plain loaf and the fruit and nut one. Sausage rolls, berry danishes, carrot cake and a good run of cakes and pastries fill out the counter, and custom cakes can be ordered ahead. The coffee is roasted in-house and served as espresso or filter, and you can take a bag of beans home.

It's a small, busy space with a relaxed feel, some outdoor seating and a mix of locals and travellers coming through. Weekend mornings can get crowded, but people say the team moves the queue along quickly and stays friendly. Regulars mention staff who remember your coffee order, and prices are seen as fair for the quality. There's dine-in and takeaway, plus vegetarian and vegan options, breakfast and lunch, and the space is good for kids and wheelchair accessible.

It's closed on one day of the week, so check the hours before you head in.