Hastings St Bakery – Noosa Heads QLD

Hastings St Bakery

This weeks review had a real local theme about it for me. I was visiting one Australia’s most iconic streets and a street I know like the back of my hand. “Hastings Street” Noosa Heads was where i was heading and Hastings Street Bakery was where it’s at !!!!

Hastings Street is filled with up market restaurants, bars, boutique shops, but best off all a traditional BAKERY !!!! This Bakery has been around for many years but current owners Brett and Haley have been here for just over 14 years. What makes this story even more interesting is both Brett & Haley had barely stepped foot into a bakery before they took over the Bakery. Brett spent 30+ years selling darts with British Tobacco and Haley working for Cathay Pacific Airways.

14 years later these guys have this place humming employing 15 odd staff, pumping out truck load of 🥧’s and serving countless coffees every day. Well things were humming, then Covid hit. Hastings Street and surrounds rely heavily on overseas and interstate tourists so when the travel bans started and restrictions took place this bakery like so many other small businesses was hit for six.

The more time i spent with Brett and Haley I soon realized how hard times were during the height of Covid, and how hard they have worked to get things back to normal. Like most bakeries I’m visiting getting bakers and pastry chefs to fill vacant positions are virtually non excitant so the hours both these owners are working is crazy. After scoping out the 🥧 warmer for some time it was time to get this review under way.

Choosing a 🥧 for this weeks review was quite simple. Brett was super keen on me trying their signature 🥧. Slow cooked lamb chunks, sweat potato, pumpkin and rich gravy sauce. This was a 🥧 I was super keen to tuck into and I knew it wouldn’t last long.

🥧🥧🥧 THE REVIEW 🥧🥧🥧

1. Value for Money – This 🥧 wasn’t cheap at $8, but I had to remind myself where I was and what street I was in. The rent for tenants in this street are enormous so I can understand paying a little premium for goods and services this street has to offer., but the average 🥧 punter may not. The 🥧 was a decent size, nice and round and relatively deep. 7/10
2. Meat Ratio – This 🥧 was almost full. Huge chunks of meat and veggies. Not a lot of room left at all. 8/10
3. Meat Flavour – Winner Winner chicken dinner !!!! Words cannot explain how good this 🥧 tasted. The lamb was amazing and cooked to perfection. The veggies and gravy was outstanding. Everything about this flavor was perfect. 10/10
4. Pastry – The pastry was PERFECT !!!! The base was incredibly soft, while having that buttery flavor. The top on the other hand was extremely crusty and flakey. The 🥧 held together like it should. This was a very easy score. 10/10
5. Temperature – Perfect temperature. This 🥧 was served and devoured very quickly. 10/10

🥧🥧 Overall Rating 45/50 🥧🥧

Apart from the $8 price tag, I absolutely loved this 🥧. Having lived in the area for 20 plus years, I fully understand the Hastings Street prices and the rent it’s tenants pay. In saying that the average punter off the street would say $8 is potentially too expensive for a 🥧. Someone asked me after tasting this 🥧 would I come back again and pay $8 for the same 🥧 ? 100% yes yes yes !!!! The Flavor was up there with this best I’ve ever had, while the pastry was off the charts. The best part was easily the flavor. The size of the lamb chunks were equally matched by the size of the sweet potato and pumpkin.

This bakery is well worth a visit and the Lamb 🥧 should be on your hit list. Yes Hastings Street is extremely busy during holiday times but don’t stress the bakery is open 7 days a week. Not only are the 🥧’s a massive hit, the bread and coffee are off the charts and I shouldn’t forget the extensive range of sweets and treats. Noosa Council has made things easier during peak times with busses running free drop off’s to Hastings Street, so parking won’t be a issue.
Another huge thanks to Brett and Haley for having me in and allowing me to share there story. These guys should be well and truly retired by now !!!! But 7 days a week there are both in the shop working tirelessly and pumping out quality food for the thousands of tourists and locals.

Don’t forget both Brett and Haley had ZERO baking experience what so ever when they took over. Steve the pastry chef has taught Haley everything about making pastry and my word he’s done a remarkable job. Brett on the over hand has handled the transition from selling “Durries” to selling 🥧’s with ease.

It’s so great to see Hastings Street filled with tourists and crowds (locals would probably disagree LOL) As previously mentioned this street and the whole Noosa area was badly effected by Covid and the border restrictions. So to see people out and about and spending money in local business is AWESOME !!!!