Sweet And Flour Bakery Cafe

If you're up the range in Mapleton and want a proper bakery stop, Sweet And Flour Bakery Cafe is the one locals point people to. It's a small shop in the town centre, and the pies are what most people mention first: meat, pepper steak and veggie, with pastry that gets plenty of praise for being crisp and soft in the right places.

Beyond the pies, the cabinet is a good one. The Dutch vanilla slice is the thing people talk about, apparently the sort that has visitors planning their next trip, and the version with cherries and fresh cream has a following of its own. Custard tarts, sausage rolls, apple strudel, raspberry and custard pastries and the banana caramel tart all get a mention too, along with a Vegemite scroll for something savoury and a bit different. Scones and apple pie go down well with the morning tea crowd.

It works as a cafe as well as a bakery. You can dine in or take away, and they do coffee and breakfast, so it suits a relaxed morning stop on the drive up. Gluten-free options are available, including pies, cakes and bread, which is handy if anyone in your group avoids gluten. They also take custom cake orders. We've heard the odd comment that baked goods aren't priced as visibly as the drinks, so don't be shy about asking at the counter. Otherwise people describe the prices as reasonable, and good value comes up often.

The staff are a big part of why people return. Friendly, upbeat service is mentioned again and again, with one local even describing the woman behind the counter as unreal. There's a wheelchair-accessible entrance and car park, free street parking and a free car park, and they take cards and mobile payments. The shop is LGBTQ+ friendly.

It's open seven days, with slightly shorter hours on weekends, so check the hours before you set off. For a pie, a slice and a decent coffee in Mapleton, it's an easy place to pull up.