Back in the 1980’s, when I was a kid, a Sunday drive was the thing to do. We’d all hop into Dad’s car and take a drive to Mundaring Weir for an Ice cream or when we were in the UK we’d enjoy a drive through the Peak District in search of a cosy country pub for lunch.
I recently revisited the Sunday drive – we’d heard good things about the Bindoon Bakehaus and it seemed like the perfect thing to do on a rare Sunday where we had no plans. Bindoon is in the Chittering Valley about an hour north east of Perth’s CBD. We already live NOR, so it took us about 40mins to drive there, through bushland and fields of animals. It’s a scenic drive at this time of year, with the wildflowers blooming. It’s also a good time to visit as the pretty rolling hills are green from the winter rain.
We stopped at the Bakehouse on the main drag in Bindoon. Bindoon is what my Mum would describe as a “one horse town”. There’s not an awful lot there! In the surrounding Chittering and Avon Valleys there are a few family run wineries and national parks. It seemed that many other people had the same idea as us and the bakery was heaving with people! 
There’s something about a country bakery. Chef just has to sample their pies! (like when we were in Margaret River!). We were served in no time. There’s seating plenty of seating indoors and outside too.
Little Chef had a sausage roll, I had an authentic Cornish pasty and Chef chose one of their raved-about meat pies.
Chef’s pie was particularly delicious. He picked a beef, bacon and cheese filling – which he was pleased to discover had lots of meaty chunks in it – there’s nothing worse than a pie that’s all gravy – so this got two thumbs up!
Little Chef absolutely loves the “Kiddies Bakehause” an ingenious idea to keep little hands busy! New dough is provided daily for kids to roll and knead to their hearts content. Little Chef loved making ginger bread men and putting them in the pretend oven to “bake”.
And it wouldn’t be a trip to a bakery without something sinfully sweet too! There’s fruity cheesecakes, butter pecan tarts, Paris brest, chocolate brandy mud cake, Bindoon Orange Cake (gluten-free) and so much more. Chef chose a French vanilla slice to go and I couldn’t refuse a custard tart. They’re one of my favourites, but I rarely eat them – I find the shop bought tarts usually are full of additives. We can report that they were both delicious. We’re not the bakery’s only fans – in May 2015, Prince Harry dropped in for bannofee éclair – so we’re in good company.
We did a big loop – driving through Gingin and Two Rocks on the way back home. Gingin was quaint too, and I’d go back another time as I spied a nice looking café overlooking a park – I hear the Gravity museum is great too. It was nice for something different, I’d not been out that way for years and we’ll most certainly be back to Bindoon Bakery for more pies and a bannofee éclair!