Every country has a cuisine that has put it on the map. Italy has pasta. Japan….sushi. In my wonderful country of Australia we have a plethora of dishes that we have claimed as our own but it is probably the humble meat pie that is most often referred to as the most famous. It is consistently found in school canteens, purchased late at night at 24 hour petrol stations and sold at every single bakery worth entering. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
Recently we decided to make a day trip to the Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk. As we turned off the Illawarra Highway onto Jamberoo Mountain Road we spotted The Famous Robertson Pie Shop and made a mental note to stop in on our way home. Of course, just the name raised an array of questions from the kids: why is it famous? What type of pies will we find there?
After our adventure at the Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk we decided to stop in at The Famous Robertson Pie Shop. It was extremely busy. There were an enormous selection of pie choices and some mouth-watering dessert selections. I’m told that there are 24 choices in all but I think there are more. While T and Master R chose a plain meat pies I decided to try a chicken, leek and camembert pie.
The Famous Robertson Pie Shop offers indoor or outdoor eating. There are a number of beautiful oak tress growing next to the store with around 4-5 park benches spread around them. Being a warm day we couldn’t resist eating outside. One bite of my pie and I was in heaven. The pastry was perfect. The filling…..superb. It was the right consistency, neither too thick nor too thin. The chicken pieces were cooked to perfection, breaking into my mouth as I bit into them. Oh my gosh, I could have eaten three!
Next, dessert. A cherry pie with cream and a pecan pie were shared between the four of us. Our taste buds were spoilt. Each bite was a treat. We all found ourselves licking our fingers. I’m also convinced that calories don’t count on the weekend, so no guilt at all.
Whilst T and I enjoyed a hot drink, the kids climbed the oak trees and collected acorns. The shade from the canopy kept us cool and had their been a hammock I would have easily taken a nap. I think we need to head back soon.
Interested in trying the Famous Robertson Pie Shop? You’ll find it at 4400 Illawarra Highway Robertson. If approaching from the Southern Highlands, drive right through Robertson as it’s outside the town.