Emma's Bakery Alfredton

Emma's Bakery Alfredton is a homemade bakery in Alfredton, Victoria, and pies are frequently mentioned by locals. The pulled pork pie comes up often, along with a Brazilian pulled beef pie that one visitor passing through rated highly. Sausage rolls and pasties are popular too, and one local who stopped in on a quiet public holiday was glad to find proper pies, sandwiches and sweets instead of just fried food.

Beyond the pie warmer, the range is wide. The cabinet is stocked with slices, vanilla slice, donuts, lemon tart, biscuits and cakes, and one local reckoned it was "a patisserie shop masquerading as a bakery". They also take custom cake orders and do gluten-free and vegan options, which isn't something every bakery in town can offer.

You can sit down, take away or order delivery, and there's coffee and breakfast if you're after something warm to start the day. A toasted sandwich and a flat white earned praise from travellers who found the place on a recommendation from their motel. Plenty of seating inside makes it an easy stop, and there's free parking out the front and a wheelchair-accessible entrance.

Staff are a big part of why people come back. Friendly, welcoming and quick are the words that keep coming up, and one family was charmed by the team dressing up for Easter, with hot chocolate buns going down very well with the kids. Prices are generally seen as fair for what you get, and one person who ordered sandwiches for a small training session in Ballarat found the catering easy to arrange and the platters well presented. Emma's also supplies fundraising orders and wholesale to local cafes and supermarkets.

We've heard the odd comment that a few items were lukewarm or ordinary, and that the hard surfaces make the room a bit noisy at busy times. On balance, though, it's a bakery with a strong local reputation. Check the opening hours before you head in, as they vary across the week and weekends.