The Hunter Valley’s one stop patisserie shop
Known for its wine, restaurants, beer and spirits, music events, and spectacular settings, the Hunter Valley has welcomed a tasty new addition to its already delicious lineup – Ben Ean Patisserie.
Located within the Ben Ean Winery and Vineyard along McDonald’s Road, Pokolbin, Ben Ean Patisserie is a perfect complement to the onsite Baumé Restaurant, and The Deli at Ben Ean which opened at the end of 2024.
As you arrive at the cellar door, turn right and head up the stairs, the freshly baked patisserie and savoury aromas will no doubt lead you to your destination. The Patisserie is tucked away on the terrace area of the building which allows you to take a seat overlooking the vines.
What started as a small idea by pastry Chef Steve, has evolved into what is now a full blown patisserie, open 7 days, from 8am - 3pm.
Seating up to 40 people, the Patisserie makes for an ideal morning coffee stop or after lunch caffeine hit, which is tricky to find after 1pm in the Hunter Valley.
Deciding what to order is no easy task as you’re faced with a spectacular range of pastries and savoury delights crafted by Chef Steve himself. A pastry chef for more than 40 years, Steve was the original pastry chef at Kirkton Park, Head Pastry Chef at Twin Waters Resort in Noosa, Executive Chef with Hotel Continental, and more recently the original owner of Newcastle’s Euro Patisserie.
Today, Steve is happier than ever as he explains,
“I have full creative control working here which I love. I’m left alone and do what I want, when I want, which is how I work best.”
“The idea for the business was pretty loose originally, we opened with a soft launch to see how it went, and the plan was to work out from there whether we’d open 4, 5, or 7 days. It didn’t take long for us to realise it was going to work, so we went straight to 7 days a week.”
Every item is made in house by Steve, and the menu is a big line up of all your classic pastries such as; cold set cheesecake, vanilla slices, lemon meringues, Steve can also offer made to order specialty cakes for birthdays, weddings and any other type of occasion.
In addition to the sweets are the savouries, like the good old traditional pies and sausage rolls. Steve does also like to push the boundaries with his flavours, look out for the Tandoori, BBQ, or spaghetti pie on your visit.
Outside of your regular menu lineup, Steve loves a good holiday bake, whether it’s fruit mince tarts at Christmas, and hot cross buns at Easter, no matter what time of year, there will always also be a good excuse to visit Ben Ean Patisserie.
Photography supplied by MJK Creative
