Segafredo's Bakery

Segafredo's Bakery is a bakery and cafe in Heathcote, Victoria, and the pies are known locally. Locals rate the plain country pie as the best in town, and the lamb and rosemary pie has won over visitors passing through. The pepper steak pie gets a nod for its flaky pastry, generous filling and proper chunks of beef. The bacon and egg pie is another regular order. We've heard one traveller say they enjoyed it enough to come back the next day.

Beyond pies, the sausage rolls and vanilla slice come up often, and the custard tart is called a standout. Salad rolls are a particular favourite here, with fresh rolls and crisp vegetables, and the filled rolls and sandwiches have their fans too. Cakes are described as tasty and reasonably priced, though one local found the orange and poppy seed a touch too sweet for a whole slice.

It works as a proper stop-in as well as a grab-and-go. You can take your order away or sit in, with indoor and outdoor seating and newspapers to read. Coffee and breakfast are on the menu, and the long macchiato gets a good word. Opinion on the coffee isn't unanimous, with the odd grumble about a slow wait on a busy day. The staff are the other thing people keep mentioning, friendly and cheerful even when the queue is long. It's the sort of place that stayed open for the town through the tough early days of covid, and locals haven't forgotten it.

A few practical notes. It gets busy, especially on holiday weekends, so popular pies can sell out by the time you arrive, and one visitor missed out on a vegetarian pie that way. It's worth getting in early if you have your heart set on something. The bakery opens early every day of the week, and it's worth checking the hours before you head in. Parking is free, with a car park and street parking, and there is wheelchair-accessible entry, seating and parking. Cards and mobile payments are accepted. If you're passing through Heathcote on the way to Echuca, a few regulars make it a fixed stop on that run.