The Bread Winner

Came here the other day whilst shopping in Mt Eden, but were a little disappointed by the quality. I got what was labelled as a «pork pastie» — I’ve been missing Australian pasties like anything since I got to NZ, and I was excited that I finally found somewhere that had them. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very nice — not very hot, and it didn’t taste very nice. Not at all like I was expecting. They did have a nice looking cake and pastry section, however, and the woman who served us was quite friendly.
No coffee, though, so if you’re looking for a nice flat white with your pie, you’ll have to go elsewhere.

The Bread Winner brings on a flow of memories — I used to flat just up the road with a particularly memorable ex-​girlfriend. Every hungover morning I would make my dutiful way down to the Bread Winner and bring back something that was never good enough. Eventually I started eating my food there just for a bit of peace and quiet. And that’s sitting in a place where the local homeless tend to congregate. Bread Winner has an awesome selection above and beyond your usual Bakery, — they even sell spring rolls ! They don’t neglect the classics however, with a range of pies that surpass supposed «gourmet» shops. Priced just right, they form a perfect antidote to the gnawing hunger that can threaten to derail any day. If you are on Dominion Road, definitely check in.

Don’t tell anyone but I ate a steak and mushroom pie here even though I’m vegetarian. My boyfriend was eating one and I had a sneaky bite, and as a vegetarian it’s been a LONG time since I’ve eaten a pie, so I caved in and upped my body’s iron content with one of these bad boys. Worth. Every. (Mildy guilty). Bite.
Anyway, don’t get distracted judging me for my lack of herbivorous control, just remember that they also have a good selection of tasty treats including my favourite of all bakery windows, the caramel slice. Their one might not be the best I’ve ever had, but it’s up there.
Once I’ve checked out the caramel slice situation in a bakery, I usually take note of what else they have on offer. They have a good pie selection, sandwiches, filled rolls, breads. It’s all there and looks fresh and inviting. I love bakery foods and I decide quickly whether I think a bakery is good or not, and the Bread Winner is a winner in my books.

Sandwiches, filled rolls, buns and the like are one of my favourite things. Yes ok ok I do like food in general (ain’t no hiding that fact now), but a good basic lunch can be a very rare beast, or non-​beast as is my usual dilemma. As someone who doesn’t really eat meat, there’s nothing more irritating than running in somewhere to grab a bite when you’re starving and being faced with sad little plastic cupboards with sad little plastic wedges of what can only loosely be referred to as sandwiches. White bread, processed meat, not much else. Got vegetarian you ask. Yes, stale white bread cheese and onion. Well I like keeping it real, especially when it comes to food, fuck you very much. Deep breath.
The Bread Winner Bakery would never stock anything like the above and I would never need to swear at the lovely people who run it. The vege quiches are super yummy without the sickly over-​egginess that most lunchbar quiches have. We often grab pies and savouries for a weekend treat but my very best favourite to go with my Nippy’s Iced Coffee (the iced coffee again) is a filled Tuna Bun. They will even usually make you one if they have run out, which they do because the Tuna always seems to go first.
Another thing that is really cool about this place is that you can buy a ready-​made cake and pretend you baked it yourself. Not that I would ever do such a thing… Chocolate Log or Banana Cake are $ 10 and you can even get a Cream Cheese Iced Red Velvet for $ 22. There are all the usual gorgeous gooey slices and treats as well as some I haven’t seen anywhere else, and for my money this is the best of the basic lunchbars. So much so I will even make a special trip to come here rather than waste my time trying other places. Love your work.

I live in an area blessed with a multitude of delicious lunch options, and even more for dinner and late night eating. There’s a dairy if I need lollies, and a bottle shop if (when) I need booze.
What there isn’t, unfortunately, is a bakery. And it’s one of the saddest things in my life.
What makes it worse is that just a little further down Dominion Road, just too far to walk, is the Bread Winner Bakery. Which is an excellent bakery. Like the bunch of grapes hanging just out of reach, it taunts me constantly.
Bread Winner has all the bakery standards — pies, slices, sandwiches, filled rolls, those weird hotdog-​sausage-​baked-​in-​bread things, and all of them are done to the highest standard. Everything is fresh and well made, and the portions are generous. I’ve never bought any of their actual bread (because why would you, when there’s something more unhealthily delicious on offer?) but I’m sure it’s good too. Particular highlights: steak and mushroom pie, coffee and walnut slice, quiche (and I’m usually not a fan of bakery quiches, so its inclusion in this list is really saying something). Go there right now.