Ray Capaldi is a chef of some renown. The Scot cooked in kitchens around the world before taking a job at the Hotel Sofitel in the ‘90s, during its heyday. He’s been in Melbourne ever since and now runs Baketico with partner Jodi Crocker.
The fast-expanding empire has eight locations and counting. Each shop is packed with baked goods from in-house brands Wonder Pies (savouries), Nana Fraser’s (sweets) and Plantico (vegan fare), plus a tightly curated selection of take-home deli goods such as pickles, tinned seafood and tomato sugo.
The cabinet at Brunswick East is a slightly overwhelming sight. There are numerous types of sourdough, filled rolls, quiches, sausage rolls, croissants, cruffins, Golden Gaytime doughnuts, meringues, cake slices and more.
Pies, though, were Capaldi’s first love and continue to be the stars at Baketico. His well-tested recipe ensures the shells don’t collapse and crumble in your hands. Each has a light shortcrust pastry bottom and a crispy puff pastry lid. Both pastries use vegetable lard in place of butter, making them vegan.
Inside you’ll find traditional stuff like lamb and rosemary and beef and mushroom, but also new-wave fillings such as mac’n’cheese; tandoori chicken; and veggie mince with nutmeg, pepper and cinnamon. Occasionally things get fancy. A confit duck pie with parsnip, honey and coffee jus can be found alongside the pie-au-feu, a take on the traditional French beef stew pot-au-feu, with chunky beef and a rotating mix of greens.
Once you’ve bested your indecision and made an order, spirit it home or step into the pleasant little fenced deck to the right of the shopfront. It’s a fine place to enjoy a pie or doughnut with a coffee.
