Flour & Co.

Flour & Co. is a family-run bakery and coffee house in Toowoon Bay, and the Picot family has been behind it for over 30 years. Older locals may still remember it as the Toowoon Bay Pie Shop, and pies remain part of what people come for. If you're after a bakery in Toowoon Bay that doubles as a proper café, this is a familiar name.

The food goes well beyond the pie warmer. We hear the baked goods cabinet is a draw in itself, with cakes, sausage rolls, sourdough and a changing biscuit on the counter, and the granola cookies and peanut butter balls get a particular mention. The breakfast and brunch side is just as popular. People talk about the loaded breakfast burritos, the veggie burrito, breakfast wraps, sandwiches, chia bowls and green smoothies. Vegetarian and vegan options are on the menu, though one local suggests double-checking exactly what's in a dish if you're strict about either.

The coffee gets plenty of love, from strong iced coffee to matcha, and there's bonsoy milk if you need it. The staff are a big part of the appeal. Friendly, quick and welcoming come up again and again, even when the place is packed, and one regular describes the team as lovely and the owners as having kept things steady while adding a personal touch with a few new menu items. Value gets a nod too, with generous fillings for the money.

Be aware that it fills up fast, and one visitor reckons it could use a few more tables. There is seating inside and out, a wheelchair-accessible car park and accessible seating, and you can dine in or take away. The beaches at Toowoon Bay and Blue Bay are only minutes away, so it's a natural stop after a swim. One person felt the pastry range, croissants in particular, could be stronger, so pies, burritos and cookies are the safer bets.

It's open daily from early morning through to mid-afternoon, so it suits breakfast or lunch. Check the hours before you head over.