Three Mills Bakery, one of Canberra’s most recommended bakeries. Photo: Three Mills Bakery.
Fresh bread, baked goods, pastries, sweet and savoury treats … Who doesn’t love a quality bakery?
A local bakery is a great place to buy fresh bread for lunch, a treat for morning or afternoon tea, a tart for dinner or a sweet for dessert. Today, many artisan bakeries also are trained in making barista quality coffee and they serve gorgeous teas.
In Canberra especially, there are a multitude of bakeries. From specialists in cakes, to gluten-free range, Swedish bakeries to vegan galore – there’s a bakery for everyone in our little town. That’s why we’re here to help. In our article, we’ll outline the qualities to consider when choosing a great bakery, and share where to find the best in Canberra.
What makes a great bakery?
Choosing the right bakery makes sure everyone enjoys their favourite bakery treat. It takes the stress out of buying goods that might not make the grade.
It can be helpful to keep the following in mind when choosing a bakery.
- Excellent range. First and foremost, look for a bakery that offers a delectable selection of fresh bread and baked goods, both sweet and savoury.
- Quality. You’ll want to choose a bakery that makes everything in-house, so you’re getting super fresh goods. You might also want to treat yourself to artisan products, created with high-quality ingredients and made by hand.
- Great prices. The best bakeries charge a fair price for the quality of their goods, especially given that artisan and hand-formed products take a lot of love and time to create.
- Services. You might just want a bakery that serves takeaway. Or you might want to choose one that has eat-in services , including quality coffee, tea and other drinks. You might also want to select a bakery that has a great vibe and a dining area to sit and relax.
- Staff. If you love service with a smile, you’ll want to choose a bakery with great staff. Bakeries can get super busy, so you’ll want staff that can serve you well, even when things get stressful for them.
The best bakeries in Canberra
Riotact’s editorial team has combed through 20 years of on-site comments to compile a list of the most recommended businesses according to you.
To be listed in our Best of Canberra series, each business needs to have consistently received positive feedback on Riotact and Facebook as well as maintaining a minimum average of 4/5 stars on Google.
Three Mills Bakery
Three Mills Bakery was born out of a vision to work with three grain suppliers on a quest for world-class sourdough and pastry products. Quality, local ingredients are used as are traditional baking techniques. Three Mills Bakery has a café, wholesale operation and catering service.
Jamie Whitcombe wrote on Google, “Some of the best (if not the best) baked goods in Canberra! Everything I've tried (including cookies, croissants, brownies and bread) has been delicious and served or delivered with a smile.”
Dobinsons
Since 1994, Dobinsons has served quality, classic Australian bakery goods in a laid-back atmosphere. Dobinsons’ success is owed to five generations of hard working and dedicated pastry chefs. Every day, bakers bakes a wide range of breads, pies, tarts, pastries and other sweet and savoury treats. Breakfast, lunch, coffee and take away all available.
On Google, Bryce O’Hara wrote, “The pastries at Dobinsons are baked with passion and it shows through the flavour and overall taste of the pies and sweets. The good coffee is an added bonus.”
Sweet Bones Bakery and Café
Sweet Bones is a vegan café and bakery with a rustic, rock’n’roll feeling and a friendly local vibe. The food is inventive, cruelty free and, most of all, delicious. Sweet Bones sources as much local and organic ingredients as possible. Most items can be made gluten free.
On Google, Jamie Soaki wrote, “As a non-vegan, I was thoroughly impressed by their food. The brownie I had was delicious, to the point that I ordered a friend's birthday cake from them.”
Knead Patisserie
Knead Patisserie’s philosophy is to use real ingredients (organic where possible) and create delicious food from scratch every day. Knead Patisserie bakes a wide range of rustic breads, tarts, cakes, muffins and other pastries. On the savory side, Knead Patisserie creates gourmet sausage rolls, pies, sandwiches, quiche and authentic pizza. Customers can sit in and dine, enjoying a quality coffee.
On Google, Ben Tanzer wrote, “Good coffee, good patisserie and bread, friendly service. What more do you want?”
The Flute Bakery
Ornate, French sweets are The Flute Bakery’s speciality. Every day The Flute bakes delicate French classics and European-inspired pastries—macarons, bavarois, mousse, praline, gateaux and more. Savoury items are also baked daily. The Flute has a custom cake service. Dine in or take away.
Madeleine Lloyd wrote on Google, “Amazing pastry! Had a beef and red wine pie. Not only was the pastry delicious, the filling was just as good.”
If you’re looking for more information on eating out in Canberra, you might like our articles on the best coffee shops, best cake shops and best birthday cakes Canberra has to offer.
Your experience with bakeries in Canberra
Thanks to our commenters who have provided insightful feedback, if you believe we have got it wrong, please let us know.
Have you had experience with any of the bakeries listed above? If so, share your feedback in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients for a great bakery?
The best bakeries offer sweet and savoury items, all cooked on site daily. They have a wide range of goodies available, to suit all tastes and occasions. Some also make great coffee and you can dine in or takeaway.
Do all bakeries offer catering services?
Many bakeries offer catering services, but not all do. Check online or phone if this is what you’re looking for. Many bakeries also provide wholesale services and specialty cake services.
What is an artisan bakery?
In the bakery world, the term artisan often refers to a baker who has been trained to knead, ferment, shape and bake handcrafted loaves of bread. They tend to create everything by hand, and with love and passion.
Do artisan bakeries change more for the goods?
Artisan bakers tend to charge more than mass commercial bakeries because it takes them longer to create goods. This is because the baker makes everything by hand, with care and without machines.
Can I order a specialty cake through my local bakery?
Quality bakeries make specialty cakes. Some make a range daily which can be bought onsite. Others require you to order in advance. These bakeries have a section of their website featuring the styles and sizes of cakes you can order.
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