Home Grain Bakery Aldinga

Home Grain has a second location in McLaren Flat, but its beating heart remains the Aldinga flagship – a comely heritage-listed former general store in Old Coach Road’s rejuvenated precinct. Charming original windows and Baltic pine floors (circa 1920) remain.

Cara and Toff West opened in 2011 when there wasn’t much but tumbleweeds and a no-fuss pub nearby. American Cara had never tried a sausage roll before opening day, but the Wests have since created a menu of predominantly back-to-basics recipes done extremely well.

Try a steak pie packed with Wakefield Grange grass-fed beef, or a vanilla slice, featuring hand-mixed custard and butter-cream frosting. Home Grain’s bread is also based on the you-don’t-need-too-many-ingredients mantra. The sourdough’s a bestseller.

Creative flair is on show with the Pie of the Month, built around a quality local product. One of the most popular is the steak and stout pie made with McLaren Vale Goodieson Brewery stout. The Drunken Lamb Pie uses wine from Aldinga’s Big Easy Radio.

Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan diets are all catered to (vegans, try the wholemeal spinach and mushroom pastie), but whatever your diet, don’t miss Fleurieu’s finest coffee, from McLaren Vale’s Villeré.