Which bakery is Australia's 2024 best vanilla slice champion?

In Australian baked goods, the vanilla slice reigns supreme as a beloved classic.

The competition for the country's best vanilla slice is fierce, and this year, the sweet scent of victory is wafting from a small bakery in regional Victoria.

North End Bakehouse in Shepparton has once again claimed the title of Australia's best vanilla slice!



This is the second consecutive year the bakery has won this prestigious award, proving that their vanilla slice is no one-hit-wonder but a consistent crowd-pleaser.

The Baking Association of Australia's (BAA) Baking Show, held annually, is a platform where the country's best bakers showcase their skills and compete for the coveted titles.


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North End Bakehouse Shepparton bagged the prestigious award as 2024’s Best Vanilla Slice. Credit: North End Bakehouse Shepparton / Facebook


This year, North End Bakehouse didn't just stop at winning the best vanilla slice award; they also bagged the title for Australia's best hot cross bun for the third time.

The bakery's social media post read, 'The little bakery that could! These awards mean so much to us.'

Owner and baker Matt Aylett, the man behind these award-winning treats, attributed the bakery's success to consistency.

'We don't mess with the recipe, we just make sure our product is made perfectly each time,' he said.

Aylett also took the time to acknowledge the bakeries that shared the second-place podium—Porter Avenue Pies & Cakes and Hungie Fangs Artisan Bakery.


'We are part of a great industry and are always supporting each other to grow and push for amazing products,' he said.

‘These awards mean so much to us, but especially this time, as we are opening our second store in Mooroopna in mid-April.’

The BAA noted that North End Bakehouse had made history by becoming the first bakery to win both national titles in the same year.

'This has never been done before so a big congratulations to all the team,' it said.

But the accolades don't stop there.



North End Bakehouse also emerged victorious at the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph in Merbein, near Mildura, in August.

The bakery also took home the crown for Australia’s Best Vanilla Slice at the 2023 Victorian Baking Show in March, where its vanilla slice recipe blew the judges away and scored an almost perfect result of 97/100.

Speaking about his 2023 win, Aylett said that 17 years of practice had helped him perfect his vanilla slice.

'We make sure the custard's perfect, pastry's crispy, icing's shiny, everything,' he said.
Key Takeaways

  • North End Bakehouse in Shepparton, Victoria, has been named the winner of Australia's best vanilla slice for the second year in a row at the BAA Baking Show.
  • Baker Matt Aylett's North End Bakehouse also won the title for Australia's best hot cross bun for the third time, making history by winning both national titles in the same year.
  • The bakery prides itself on the consistency of its products, not changing the recipe but ensuring each slice is made perfectly.
  • North End Bakehouse is expanding, with plans to open a second store in Mooroopna in mid-April, bringing their award-winning baked goods to more customers.
Have you tried North End Bakehouse's award-winning vanilla slice? Share your experience in the comments below!
 
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My husband, son & a dear friend love vanilla slices but I refer to them as custard between two pieces of cardboard with sickly icing on top. My friend used to live near Shepparton so must ask her if she used to visit this bakery. Give me a chocolate eclair, with proper cream any day.
 
It looks delicious and well done to them. It's hard to even find a vanilla slice in any shop today. The Coles one is horrible.
And that is why I make my own and it's really easy and delicious. I have posted the recipe before in the cooking section which I will bump it up so you will find it easy
 
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My husband, son & a dear friend love vanilla slices but I refer to them as custard between two pieces of cardboard with sickly icing on top. My friend used to live near Shepparton so must ask her if she used to visit this bakery. Give me a chocolate eclair, with proper cream any day.
I'm with you, my wife loves them but I am chocolate eclair with real cream fan also
 
WW had these and was a really good seller. Then they deleted them for more expensive cakes and crap. Pissed me off even more with WW as it was one of the few things I bought from their ripoff store. Then when the local IGA got taken over by Drakes they decided not to put icing on theirs and put icing sugar on them instead. Then our "Karen" that owns the local cake shop stopped making them because nobody would pay the price they charged so now we can't get a nice vanilla slice anywhere. Called into a Coles store to see if they had them but they looked like pig slop. So that was the end of that.
 
I'm with you, my wife loves them but I am chocolate eclair with real cream fan also
REAL Cream !!! unless you milk your own cow you will only get some sort of modified cream anywhere else... you only get Real cream from un homogenised un pasteurised milk
 
REAL Cream !!! unless you milk your own cow you will only get some sort of modified cream anywhere else... you only get Real cream from un homogenised un pasteurised milk
I grew up on a farm where a few cows were kept to supply milk & cream so am very familiar with what the proper cream is but I did mean what is now classed as cream & not the fake substance that some places are known to use.
 

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