I was staying a few doors down from this place and decided to give it a try. Also, I discovered that it had a good rating when I was doing some research. The bakery has a good selection of savouries and sweets just like any traditional Kiwi bakery but also has a small menu. This place also has a lot of different seating options including quite a few tables where you can sit outside. Pies at this place have quite a big price range with some being around $9 to some being around $4 and the main reason is due to the ingredients.
Bacon and Egg Pie
The first time I was here, I was here for breakfast. This looked like any other ordinary pie but was of a good size and quite a bit on weight to it. Inside there was one whole egg yolk and filled with bacon. The filling overall was really good. The pasty was nice and not too dense and had a bit of flakiness to it. Overall a good pie.
Mince and Cheese Pie
Came for a late lunch and wanted a pie and this was the closest one to a steak and cheese pie. As this had been in the pie warm longer the pastry was more flaky and crisp. However, it was still not very heavy. The filling was nice and quite dense but with a good gravy to eat. Not too much gravy that the whole filling falls out but the right amount that it moves but it doesn’t dirty your fingers while you are chewing. The amount of cheese is good which was placed on top of the filling and overall a really nice flavour. I just wish that I bought some tomato sauce to go with it.
Strawberry Tart
Came back for an Afternoon tea, and surprisingly it was quite limited on what they had left as there was quite a bit of selection at the start of the day. This strawberry tart was good. The strawberries were fresh and I loved the biscuit base with chocolate on it. The custard was really nice and I liked the touch of coconut on it. However, I am not sure why the glazing was read unless they are trying to hide something as having a clear one would have made it look less artificial. Overall though, a really nice tart for dessert.
Custard Square
By the looks of this, I didn’t know if this was going to be a good custard square or a mediocre custard. All I know is that I like custard squares and when I see one I need to order one. I decided to eat this with a fork because I was eating in public and amazingly I manage to slice some off with the custard not losing its shape. When slicing I could tell it had a nice pastry and that the custard was of good consistency. The icing was vanilla flavour and not too strong and adding the custard and the pastry you have a real winner. I really enjoyed this custard square and one of the best ones I have had in a very long time.
Flat White
Nice touch to see a small butter biscuit come with the coffee, which was rather nice. The coffee was obviously single shot and totally forgot to order a double. However, it was not too bad and the coffee did manage to have a bit of depth. I later discovered they use Supreme Coffee.
This small township of Mapua is very fortunate to have a great bakery. I liked everything that I ate here and the service is as kiwi as you get. I think the food looks 50 cents to a dollar overpriced but the food you get is worth it as the quality and flavours are good. I love the different seating options and it is a great place to sit and have a cheap eat in the sun.
‘Address: 66 Aranui Rd, Best Island, Mapua
Website: Mapua Village Bakery
Trencherman's Travels 