TUCKED away in Bath Lane you\u2019ll find this year\u2019s winner of the Best Vanilla Slice in Wotif\u2019s Uniquely Aussie Awards.<\/p>\n
Owner and baker at Bridgewater Bakehouse Pat O\u2019Toole\u2019s take on the iconic dessert has been deemed worthy of the recognition by a people\u2019s choice vote held across the country.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s not the first accolade for the tasty treats at his business, which operates a location in town and on Main Street in Bridgewater on Loddon, Mr O\u2019Toole said this one was the most meaningful.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me it was a better award to win because it\u2019s the customer that\u2019s telling us its good, it\u2019s not just a competition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s people that are voting for us in Western Australia. To me, that\u2019s magic, it means we\u2019re getting known around Australia, not just in Victoria.\u201d<\/p>\n
The flaky, creamy and shiny glazed dessert is the shop\u2019s most popular sweet food item, selling in whopping daily numbers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends on the day of course but before COVID we were probably averaging 500 a day. On a long weekend it can be more than that, about 600 or 700,\u201d Mr O\u2019Toole said.<\/p>\n
He said food-themed awards help to draw in even more customers, and he\u2019s sold the slice to people who have come from as far as north Queensland.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt helps business, it brings people into the store if you can win some of these awards related to pies or slices. They want to come and try them, so it gets money flowing and people moving,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TUCKED away in Bath Lane you\u2019ll find this year\u2019s winner of the Best Vanilla Slice in Wotif\u2019s Uniquely Aussie Awards. Owner and baker at Bridgewater Bakehouse Pat O\u2019Toole\u2019s take on the iconic dessert has been deemed worthy of the recognition by a people\u2019s choice vote held across the country. While it\u2019s not the first accolade […]<\/p>\n