After a fierce competition, a bakery in regional Victoria was crowned the home of Australia’s best Vanilla Slice.
The North End Bakehouse of Shepparton took first place in the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph held in Merbein near Mildura last weekend.
The bakery posted a picture of its vanilla slice on Facebook Saturday.
We now hold the title of 2023 Australia’s best vanilla slice and (are) the winners of The Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph!!
Congratulations to the other winners and placegetters today.
Anne Nash, the competition’s judge and co-ordinator of bakeries, said that Matt Aylett worked “very hard” to perfect his amazing slice.
She told Channel 7 that “(he can) distinguish between the pastry and the custard (making sure it is vanilla custard) not cream custard.”
Sometimes, the slices come in, and the icing will be weeping.
The perfect vanilla slice has all the qualities that judges are looking for. It must be able to stand on its own in a square without moving.
Ms. Nash also stressed the importance of a “really crunchy, strong pastry.”
Mr Aylett credits 17 years of practice for the perfection of his decadent, creamy vanilla slice.
He said that when creating the perfect slice, they ensured the custard was excellent, the pastry crisp, the icing shiny, and everything else.
In March, Mr Aylett won first place in the vanilla slice division at the Baking Association of Australia’s Victorian Baking Show.
The second-place winner was Sharps Bakery, Birchip, Victoria, and the third place went to Banana Boogie Bakery, Belair, Adelaide.
The North End Bakehouse won the award for best vanilla slice after Country Cobb, a Victorian bakery, won the award for best meat pie in Australia.
The fish amok pie, inspired by Cambodian culture, won the Baking Association of Australia (BAA) Best Pie and Pastie Competition held in June.
The fish curry pie that won first place in the category of seafood pie is made with barramundi from Australia and pays homage to a Cambodian national dish.
