Golden Harvest Bakery

Golden Harvest Bakery is a small bakery in Laidley, Queensland, and one local will happily drive past other options to reach it. One person says they make a 45-minute run just to stock the freezer with bread, and another skips their own local bakery to come here.

Pies are the main event. The chicken curry pie is popular, and the potato pie and the classic meat pie have their fans too. The sausage rolls are a regular talking point, especially the cheese and bacon one, which has sent at least one pair of mates back for a second round. We hear the sausage rolls have a slight pepperiness that makes them a bit different from the usual. If you're after something quick, the silverside roll and the mixed sandwiches and salad rolls come well recommended, and the advice is to get in early for the sandwiches.

On the sweet side, the caramel slice (the date version is described as not too sweet), the caramel hedgehog, the Bee Sting and the Apple Charlotte all get a mention. One local called the large apple turnover with cream the best they've had, with light pastry, plenty of filling and a large size. There's a good selection of cakes, and a slab cake ordered for a special occasion arrived fresh and looking just as hoped.

Coffee is a quiet strength here, with several people singling it out alongside the baking. You can dine in or take away, and breakfast is on the menu. Cards and tap-and-go payments are accepted. Hours run from the early morning, with a shorter day on weekends, so check before you head in.

Value comes up too. Prices are described as good, and there's a "yesterday's bake" shelf with discounts if you're happy to grab a bargain. The staff earn plenty of praise, with one local pointing out how friendly and helpful every member of the team is. It's a compact shop with a single drink fridge, so don't expect a huge range of cold drinks, but for fresh bread, pies and sweets in Laidley it's a bakery one customer has kept coming back to.