1. Mount Macedon Trading Post 2. The outdoor courtyard at Home Grown on Piper 3. Baked eggs at Verdure, Romsey
Emily Blades, The Victoria Hotel
If you could choose only one cafe to go to for brunch in the Macedon Ranges, where would it be?
Verdure Romsey
Is there a brunch dish (or two) that you always order?
Their Raspberry Oat Cakes and fresh vegetable juice.
What else do you love about Verdure?
Great vibe, supports local and love the new outdoor bench to perch on!
Describe your perfect day in the Macedon Ranges after you’ve finished your brunch.
Perfect day for me after Verdure – going for a long walk along country roads with a friend, then off to dinner at Kuzu Izakaya in Woodend with my family & friends! Just PERFECT!!
About Verdure
Verdure is a smart casual eatery in the lovely little village of Romsey. The intimate weatherboard space has been lovingly updated to create a relaxing yet vibrant environment, complete with a wood fire and tobacco leather sofas. Their menu is fresh, simple, seasonal and where possible local.
Verdure Bistro | 106a Main Street, Romsey | 03 5429 6567
Weekdays 5.30am-1pm | Saturday 7.30am-10.30am
Find out more about what to do in Romsey.
About Emily
Emily is the co-owner of The Victoria Hotel in Woodend & The Pub Truck. The ‘Vic’ is known as the ‘locals’ pub. Their stone-fired pizzas are delish, you really must try their steak, and the parmas are to die for. Plus check out the dedicated vegan and vegetarian section of the menu. Might be your post-brunch destination…. Take your pooch too – The Vic even have their own ‘doggie menu’.
Georgie Kent, Spring Hill Nursery
If you could choose only one cafe to go to for brunch in the Macedon Ranges, where would it be?
Having recently moved to this magical part of Victoria, I haven’t had the opportunity to test the many cafe hotspots because spring has been totally buzzing at Spring Hill Nursery!
So far I’ve been loving Little Swallow Cafe on Piper Street, Kyneton after it was recommended by a friend. It’s got a great vibe even when it’s really busy and the food is awesome. Best soy latte in town.
Is there a brunch dish (or two) that you always order there and why?
I am the kind of person who will pick whatever is on the special board. After all, it’s special for a reason, right? I’m never disappointed by their selection. Trust the curator!
What else do you love about Little Swallow Cafe?
I recently found out the owner of this great cafe is a horticulturalist too – a man with many hats.
The courtyard has groovy plants like topiary, vines and pretty planter boxes full of colour for the buzzy bees and butterflies. There’s something so calming about sitting amongst lots of greenery and colour, especially on a nice sunny morning with friends and good coffee.
Describe your perfect day in the Macedon Ranges after you’ve finished your brunch.
A good old fashioned hike or trail run to get some fresh Mt Macedon air followed by woodfire pizza and a cold bev at Ida Red Pizzeria in Macedon…. omg…. need I say more? It’s the real deal.
Little Swallow Cafe | 62 Piper Street, Kyneton | (03) 5422 6702
Tuesday to Sunday 8-3pm
Find out more about what to do in Kyneton.
About Georgie
Georgie Kent is one of the new faces of Spring Hill Nursery in Tylden. It’s an established nursery specialising in cool climate plants. She loves the nursery display garden lovingly created by previous owners Glenn and Sandy and uses it as a tool to show her customers what plants can look like once established. Georgie says, ‘Customers seem to really appreciate the opportunity to take inspiration from what’s around them at the nursery to help with their selection, It works really well and I love being able to share that with them’.
Jo Irwin, Mount Towrong Vineyard
If you could choose only one cafe to go to for brunch in the Macedon Ranges, where would it be?
Woodend Ice Cream Co.
It’s not a sit-down cafe as such, but if you love a sweet pastry for brunch, this place is 100% worth a trip.
Is there a brunch dish (or two) that you always order?
I love the fresh cinnamon scrolls and hot chocolate. These scrolls are AMAZING.
What else do you love about Woodend Ice Cream Co.?
Everyone who enters leaves with a smile 😊, regardless of their age. I also love to buy their Maple Pecan Ice Cream and Dark Chocolate Sorbet. It’s my favourite summertime treat, sometimes eaten together, often on pancakes!
Describe your perfect day in the Macedon Ranges after you’ve finished your brunch.
A morning hike with my family and our dog Banjo, particularly around Hanging Rock and Mt Macedon is spectacular. I love a day with no plans and just going for a drive, spending hours buying plants I don’t need at our local nurseries and discovering new local wines and produce. No plans runs a close second to a long leisurely lunch with friends. Either way there is always food, wine and music involved!
About Woodend Ice Cream Co.
Woodend Ice Cream Co. is rapidly becoming the coolest spot in the Macedon Ranges for folk with a sweet tooth. In addition to the most sublime ice cream made on-site, they bake seriously good scrolls, cookies and cakes. This is a take-away only scenario, so get yourself a freshly baked cinnamon scroll, then walk it off along Five Mile Creek before enjoying a little retail fix on High Street. Kids will also love a play in nearby Woodend Children’s Park,
Woodend Ice Cream Co. | 97a High Street, Woodend | 0498 013 375
Monday to Thursday 12-5pm | Friday to Sunday 11-5pm
Find out more about what to do in Woodend.
About Jo
Jo Irwin is the Cellar Door Manager at the delectable Mount Towrong Vineyard in Mount Macedon, known for their cool climate Italian varietals, delicious food and tastings of locally distilled Mountain Gin.
Harriet Churchill, Zig Zag Wines
If you could choose only one cafe to go to for brunch in the Macedon Ranges, where would it be?
The (newly reopened) Provincial Table in Malmsbury.
Is there a brunch dish (or two) that you always order there and why?
Hard to pick one! At the moment on their menu, which is always seasonal, fresh and local, they have a delicious white bean toastie which is just perfect for a second breakfast (!) as it’s not heavy and is a healthier but tasty twist on your usual toastie.
The continental provincial breakfast is going down particularly well at the moment. They have hearty egg and locally sourced ham/bacon dishes too. I love that they always have a strong focus on local sourcing, and the dishes are always refreshingly different but hearty. I’m sure you can just order eggs, avo and toast, but the food choices are always more interesting and nourishing than your standard brunch place.
They also cater for veg/gf.
What else do you love about the Provincial Table?
I love that it’s hidden away, it’s definitely a bit of an in-the-know secret spot, but it just has sensational food, great coffee, swoon-over cakes and the perfect outdoor space to sit and enjoy your meal. The courtyard is completed shaded with nicely spread-out tables, reminiscent of some elegant café I might have visited on my travels in a previous life.
Perhaps best of all, it is one of the few places we can have a really lovely brekkie or lunch because there is a dedicated area in the courtyard for small children, so our nearly 3 year old calls it the ‘toy café’, which I can always entice him to visit with me! There is seating indoors but that’s limited with current restrictions. But if you don’t have kids, they are out the way and not bothering you in the lovely courtyard!
It’s also a community space, so out of Covid, folk can do produce swaps there, or use it as a function space, which being strongly in our community, I absolutely love. Plus there are often delicious jams and relishes for sale.
Describe your perfect day in the Macedon Ranges after you’ve finished your brunch.
Perhaps it’s predictable but I would honestly always say that after brunch and a good ramble down a country road or to one of the amazing sites of natural beauty and aboriginal heritage that abound in the Macedon Ranges, the perfect day out ends with a visit to one or two of our local wineries. There are just so many incredible cellar doors in our region where the willing adventurer will be so delighted by the quality of wine and the experience they’ll have. Take the slow road and soak up some Macedon Ranges views with wine!
About The Provincial Table
The Provincial Table is the sister eatery to its immediate neighbour, the Malmsbury Bakery. It’s a rustic and intimate cafe with an emphasis on local and seasonal delicacies. You’ll find a lovely leafy courtyard with crocheted lap blankets, as well as a cosy space inside one of Malmsbury’s most historic buildings, complete with a wood-fire on cooler days.
The Provincial Table | 77 Mollison Street, Malmsbury 0417 931 092
Weekends 8-3pm
Find out more about what to do in Malmsbury.
About Harriet
Harriet and partner Henry exchanged their corporate suits from their agricultural sustainability day jobs, for muddy boots to take on Zig Zag Rd. Wines and raise their son together. They’ve taken on an incredible journey working with some of Macedon Ranges’ very best winemakers and biodynamic viticulturists to make wine and grow grapes in a way that doesn’t cost the earth. Their family-friendly, dog-friendly Zig Zag Rd. cellar door is located just outside the village of Malmsbury.
Rhain Di Pilla, The Old Auction House
If you could choose only one cafe to go to for brunch in the Macedon Ranges, where would it be?
Our go-to cafe for brunch in the Macedon Ranges has to be Home Grown on Piper.
Is there a brunch dish (or two) that you always order there and why?
It is nearly impossible to pass on their Greens Galore dish. Crispy potato rostis, fresh greens from Gunilla and Rob’s own farm, a free-range egg poached to perfection with smashed peas and some crunchy seeds and feta we are in heaven! Plus bonus points for it being gluten-free.
What else do you love about Home Grown on Piper?
I love that so much of their produce is grown on their own mini-farm in Metcalfe or sourced from other local farms, you really can taste the difference of small scale, organic, locally grown produce.
Describe your perfect day in the Macedon Ranges after you’ve finished your brunch.
After devouring a Greens Galore and latte, my perfect day would be going for a bushwalk at Black Hill Reserve or Turpin Falls, before heading back to our glass studio to tryout a new design or technique just for fun.
About Home Grown on Piper
This popular local cafe in the heart of historic Piper Street uses organic vegies from their mini-farm and other local, ethical produce to create delicious meals and sweet treats. Get yourself an organic fair-trade coffee and be prepared for a breakfast taste sensation.
Home Grown on Piper | 12-14 Piper Street, Kyneton | 0425 709 236
Thursday to Monday 9-5pm
Find out more about what to do in Kyneton.
About Rhain
Rhain is the owner of The Old Auction House on Kyneton’s Mollison Street that champions local artists, sells beautiful handmade crafts and gifts, and runs regular small group creative workshops from their dedicated art studios.
Want more inspiration?
There are so many amazing places to eat and drink in the Macedon Ranges. From Gisborne to Woodend and Macedon to Malmsbury.
Find more places you can try for a brekkie adventure.
