
5 minute read
Baked From Byron to the Border
Image: Baked at Ancora
BAKED FROM BYRON TO THE BORDER
WRITTEN BY: KYLIE MITCHELL-SMITH
The Northern Rivers is home to a growing number of artisans, in particular the baking type. There has been a surge of bakeries swing open their doors, from classic French style patisseries to modern bakery cafés, producing the freshest of goods daily.
Throughout time modern bakers have drawn inspiration from the indigenous peoples who have been baking coal fire damper for thousands of years, blending native seeds and nuts into a dough to be shared amongst their community. Showcasing an abundance of local produce from across the Northern Rivers, there’s a collective of bakers who creatively fuse flavours to produce unique items such as, rye and caraway sourdough, Cudgen potato pies, frangipani citrus tarts and native finger lime flans. We’ve created a banging list below of some of the finest bakeries from Byron Bay to the Tweed border, paying homage to a growing trade of artisan bakers from across the region.
BREAD SOCIAL - BYRON BAY & TWEED HEADS
The original Baker Boys of Bread Social are three long time mates who started their careers in local eateries before embarking on their own venture, the Bread Social bakery at The Farm, Byron Bay. Renowned for their super-sized and delicious Portuguese tarts, flavoursome and fresh sausage rolls and the tastiest of sourdough breads. Off the back of the success of their Byron Bay bakery, the boys opened Bread Social in Bay Street Tweed. Igniting a scene of coffee and bakery dwellers, the bustling bakery café has landmarked the area as the place to grab and go or gather with friends.
Open daily from 7.30am

Bread Social
BRUNS BAKERY
Popping up in the historical corner store building in Brunswick Heads, the art deco style build is the ideal place to grab the freshest of bread, delicious cakes, and coffee to go. Open plan with exposed brick facade and artisan tiles, Bruns Bakery is a hive of activity any time of the day. You can watch the bakers at work, producing retro favourites like vanilla slices, chocolate eclairs and sticky buns. There’s an assortment of baked bread, tasty pastries, fresh juices, brewed teas and coffee and the tastiest margarita mixes to choose from.
Open daily from 6am.
HARVEST NEWRYBAR

Harvest Newrybar
Housed in the historical bakery façade adjacent to the award-winning Harvest restaurant, the original bakehouse has been lovingly restored to its former glory. Baking fresh sourdough daily to service the restaurant and deli, Harvest baked goods taste like an age-old tradition. Choose from an array of breads infused with native flavours, like fermented wood fired sourdough or unique creations like oyster mushroom and seaweed Danish. There is also a selection of locally made condiments and fermented goods in the Harvest Deli to complement your baked goods.
Open daily from 6.30am
BENS PATISSIERE
A Murwillumbah favourite Bens Patisserie has recently moved into the iconic Regent Cinema Building, adjacent to the popular M’Arts precinct. Bens refined French style is threaded through a selection of cakes such as millefeuilles (vanilla slice), macaroons, pain au chocolat, croissants and rustic pear tarts. Grab a toasted local cheese panini, decadent dessert, or good old French Baguette on your next road trip to Tweed Valley.
Open daily Wednesday to Friday from 7am, Saturday from 8.30am.

Bens Patisserie
FUEL BAKEHOUSE
grab great coffee, homemade pies, and jam-packed cronuts and doughnuts, after a surf at one the best beaches in the country, Cabarita Beach. (As awarded by Tourism Australia in 2020, Australia’s Best Beach) The sister venue to Fuel Bakehouse in Currumbin, Fuel Bakehouse was a welcome addition to beachside Cabarita and is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. Designed for takeaway, Fuel is the perfect spot to grab your baked goods and drink of choice and head across the road to watch the waves roll in.
Open daily from 6am.
CUBBY BAKEHOUSE
Destination Chinderah where the stunning Cubby Bakehouse has popped up a garden café and bakery by the pristine Tweed River. The good folk of Cubby are renowned on the Gold Coast for delivering some of the sweetest baked goods around, like lemon curd muffins, gooey salted caramel cookies and carrot cake blondies. Along with great tasting coffee, perfect savoury baguettes (baker Ben actually travelled to France to learn the art of baguette making) and ah-mazing Ban Mi rolls, with views across the river to Wollumbin Mt Warning, Cubby Bakehouse has got it all going on.
Open daily from 5.30am
BAKED AT ANCORA
Open daily from 7am
Baked at Ancora is ideally located by the Tweed River adjacent to the beautiful Ancora Wedding venue. Delightfully renovated with coastal hues, and exposed natural wood furnishings with bronze and charcoal features. A riverside café, Baked slides seamlessly from breakfast in the bakery to lunch by the water. An expansive outside garden adds to the ambience, complementing the array of baked treats, fresh juices, and locally brewed coffee. Baked is for lovers of baked food served with beer from local brewers Earth Brewery, along with a curated selection of natural wines. Baked at Ancora is more than just a bakery, it’s a foodie destination where you can lay out a rug by the river and linger awhile.
Whether you’re living like a local or a visitor to the region, you’ll uncover a plethora of eateries along the way from the artisan bakers to the coffee brewers, the Northern Rivers is a vibrant destination bursting with flavours.
Bay bakery, the boys opened Bread Social in Bay Street Tweed. Igniting a scene of coffee and bakery dwellers, the bustling bakery café has landmarked the area as the place to grab and go or gather with friends.