Northcote Bakeshop

The Northcote Bakshop was born when Peter Byrne (previously La Paloma in Brunswick) and his business partner Arnie Salinas (who spent six years running the Abbotsford Convent Bakery) decided that it was time someone started baking on the High Street strip.

Bread lovers can keep it simple with a white, rye or seven-grain sourdough, or get adventurous with a honey, oat and organic quinoa sourdough. For those avoiding wheat, there’s a 100 per cent wholemeal spelt loaf with chia seeds.

Lunch includes such varied options as croque monsieur, pizza slices with prosciutto and brioche with pulled-pork and kasoundi, but it’s hard to go past one of mama’s beef empanadas, baked in-house by Salinas' Chilean mother.

The sweets' selection includes buttermilk scones, almond croissants, fruit Danishes and the crowd-pleasing Hello Dolly slice (biscuit base, white chocolate, vanilla cream, coconut, almonds and hazelnuts). You’ll find interesting gluten-free items too, like a chickpea and chocolate slice.

The coffee is Five Senses and you can expect to find a rotating single origin on offer. For a hot chocolate with a difference, the Bakeshop boys are making it Spanish style, with 66 per cent Mexican chocolate, vanilla and cream.

Northcote Bakeshop in a nutshell is freshly baked sourdough, single origin coffee and Nancy Wilson on the record player.