Uki Pies

Uki Pies is a pie shop in the small Northern Rivers town of Uki, New South Wales, and pies are very much the point. Locals know it for homemade pies baked fresh, with a changing lineup that tends to go beyond the usual mince and gravy. Takeaway is the main way people use it, though there is also in-store shopping, along with coffee and breakfast.

Ask around and the pies people rave about include lamb and rosemary, chicken mornay, a lentil curry pie, a cauliflower cheese pie, a mushroom and spinach pie and the Ned Kelly. Pastry gets a lot of love, described as flaky and served piping hot, with generous fillings. The sausage rolls, spinach and feta rolls and quiches come up often too, and so do the sweet treats, from a baked custard tart in the creme brulee style to a double choc brownie. Staff have a reputation for being friendly, which suits a country-town shop that people happily make a trip for.

We'll be fair here. Opinion is a little split. Some visitors have found the odd pie runnier than they'd like or a savoury roll on the dry side, and one lamb pie was a touch heavy for one person's taste. If you have coeliac disease or a strict dietary need, ask the counter directly rather than relying on an assumption. The shop can also sell out of its popular pies, so earlier in the day is the safer bet, and it's worth checking the hours before you drive out.

On the practical side, there's a free car park, including wheelchair-accessible parking, and cards and mobile payments are accepted. Travellers passing through the area often stock up on a few pies and pastries to take along, and some wish they could carry frozen ones home. If you're after a bakery in Uki for a proper pie and a coffee, this is the one locals point to.