Our wine tasting experience at Coal Valley Vineyards left us craving something to eat, since we had…read morerushed to eat breakfast on board our cruise ship before leaving for this excursion, and luckily, the second part of our excursion brought us to historic Richmond, Tasmania. We parked in the lot of the Richmond Gaol Historic Site and first went into Sweets & Treats for Australian and New Zealand confections, then into this bakery.
When we entered with my sisters, there weren't any customers, so I took my time to peer into their display cases, check out their menu, and take photos. Suddenly, a crowd and line formed behind me, and several counterhelpers began asking if I was ready to place my order. I ordered a Lamington, a Caramel Slice, and flat whites, while my husband, who had gotten "instructions" from my sisters, had his eyes on the meat pie of the day, a Curried Scallop pie, since he doesn't have a sweet tooth or is a chocoholic like me. While he paid for our snacks, I delivered the pie and pastries to the table where my two older sisters were waiting.
I briefly stepped away from the table to help carry the four flat whites, get eating utensils and napkins, and set the table, as we planned to share the food among our foursome. But when I returned, my sisters and husband had broken into the curried scallop pie. I could smell the savoriness of the curry and a slight scent of seafood from the pie. They motioned to hurry back to the table to try a piece of the tasty pie. Indeed, the piece of pie they had broken off for me had a sturdy, flaky shortcrust, and its mild curry-flavored filling had oozed onto the parchment paper bag it had been packaged in. So, thanks to my family, I didn't take a cross-section picture of the luscious, tender, savory, and well-balanced Aussie meat, er, seafood pie, as it was too messy to show. But, trust me, Richmond Bakery captured the cultural significance and iconic status of this Australian "national dish." Anyway, the curry flavor made for a strange-tasting blend with our flat whites, so we quickly shared the Lamington and Caramel Slice. Both iconic Australian pastries had great texture, moisture, and sweetness, which paired so much better with our coffee beverages and my sweet tooth.
The friendly service, clean, historical ambiance, authentic flavors, and reasonable pricing at Richmond Bakery are what make us want to return.
