Launch Bakery

If you're riding the Lilydale to Warburton rail trail or driving through Launching Place, Launch Bakery is the kind of stop people seem to make. It's a bakery in Launching Place, Victoria, with a strong local reputation, and it's obvious why someone might stop in for a break.

Pies are the main event. People talk up the cheese and bacon, steak and mushroom, and a veggie pastie one visitor had been hunting for years. Cornish pasties and meat pies appear on the menu, and the sausage rolls get a lot of love; one local's advice was not to stop at just one. The pastry has been praised for being crisp, and the pies are known for arriving hot. The odd person finds a filling on the dry side, but most come away happy.

Beyond the pies, the salad rolls and sandwiches have a loyal following, with big serves and a fresh chicken salad roll that one regular stops for whenever they head out towards Warburton. There are pastries, cakes and muffins in the cabinet too, and a mocha ring with fresh cream earned particular praise. Custom cakes can be ordered if you have a celebration coming up. Coffee and milkshakes are on offer, and one local called the flat white some of the best in the valley.

You can take your order away or sit down, with outdoor tables that people describe as clean and pleasant. There's a free car park, plus a wheelchair-accessible entrance and car park, and they take cards and tap-and-go payments. Breakfast is on the menu as well.

The staff come up again and again as friendly, quick and efficient, and plenty of people say the prices feel fair for the generous portions. The bakery looks to be open every day of the week, but check the hours before you head in, especially if you're planning a late-afternoon trail stop.