Shop 29 — Local services in Grampians

I was in Ballarat for work, and a fella I was with suggested a pie shop when I mentioned my quest. He said it was called Shop 29.

The arrogance. The audacity. The pomp.

Who names their bakery after their allocated spot in a side street mall strip without so much as a picture to show what they offer?

These guys did, and by God, what a pie.

The crunch. The flavour. The character.

I always grab a cheese, bacon and steak from every pie shop I try—if they can get that right, everything else will be ok. It’s my usual ritual across dusty-town bakeries and big-city haunts, this one’s to set the benchmark.

Cheese? Melted to perfection and full of flavour. Bacon? Cooked just right, with that smoky, salty punch that screams premium rasher, not some sad shortcut. Gravy? I’m not sure if it qualifies for such a weak title, but “hot brown magic elixir of the gods” just doesn’t have the right appeal. Steak? Hefty, melt-in-your-mouth chunks of slow-braised beef that fall apart like they’ve been tenderized by angels.

I grabbed a pepper and steak pie too, and these guys know that pepper is not a seasoning; it’s a statement of flavour and commitment to the art of pie making.
Same glorious chunks of steak too, but now fortified in a peppery inferno.

I’ve raved about hidden gems all around Australia, but Shop 29 vaults right into my top tier—one of the absolute best I’ve enjoyed, full stop. I’m sure I’ll be increasing the frequency of my trips to Ballarat for some work-related reason now, but we...

Some of the best pies I have had in Australia. Their shop wall is covered with award certificates. We ended up here at the end of our road trip around Australia (and I had a pie for breakfast almost every morning around the country). Got the pepper steak and bacon and cheese and it was delicious! Pastry not too thick but still sturdy. Filling was delicious and chunky. Pie held its structure all the way to the last bite. All the good things you want in a...

Best chunky steak pies I have ever eaten ! Great pastrie and the meat, tender and juicy. I'll be back there to purchase more when my freezer supply runs out. Picked up 6 Chunky Steak Pies for the freezer and ordered 6 Chunky Steak & Kidney Pies now I'm right for a couple of months, lol Seriously, give this place a try, not the cheapest , but certainly the best pies in town, and local owners...