The Great Ocean Road is full of small towns with ample local goodies from fruit to wine. Although we went for the natural sights, my group hopped around to taste and drink the best of the region. We mainly stuck to the 12 Apostle Food Trail, but there is plenty to sample along the way including the Otway Harvest Trail.
Where to drink:
- Blackman’s Brewery (Torquay)
- Sow & Piglets Brewery (Port Campbell)
- Timboon Railwail Shed Distillery (Timboon)
- Salt Brewery (Airleys Inlet)
Our first stop from Melbourne was at a brewery at the start of the Great Ocean Road: Blackman’s Brewery. After an hour and a half on the road, Blackman’s was the perfect stop for dinner because of it’s ‘Pizza Bar.’ We got a tasting paddle, headed to the outdoor garden and waited for our pies. The beers were very fresh as they are poured 5 meters from where it is brewed.
On Saturday we headed to Port Campbell for beer and Timboon for food after seeing some sights along the Great Ocean Road. Our first stop was Sow & Piglet Brewery. We were the first customers when they opened at 4pm
Sow & Piglet was the oringial name for the 12 Apostles so it seems fitting to have a brewery named after it to keep the history. Located in a hostel, this funky space could entertain kids and adults for hours.
Next up was the Timboon Distillery. We did a tasting which cost $15 AUD and we tasted 3-4 spirits. Although very tasty and unique, bottles were quite expensive.
Salt Brewery in Aireys Inlet was our last brewery on Sunday. With over 12 beers on tap this pub house also offers great food.
Where to eat:
- Pizza at Blackman’s Brewery (Torquay) and Salt Brewery (Airleys Inlet)
- Timboon Distillery Restaurant and or Gift Shop with Gorge Chocolate and Dairylicious Fudge
- Timboon Fine Ice Cream
- Timboon Cheesery and Schulz Organic Dairy
- Apostle Whey Cheese
- Great Ocean Road Brewhouse (Apollo Bay)
The Timboon Distillery has a gift shop and general store between the restaurant & kitchen. I grabbed some local goodies like fudge and chocolate from local 12 Apostle Food Trail vendors who were located more inward than we were going to drive.
Across the street from the Distillery is the Ice Cream Shop. With over 24 flavors to choose from, you cannot go wrong!
On our way back to the Great Ocean Road from Timboon we stopped at the Cheesery & Schulz Organic Dairy. On the outskirts of town, this serene spot is a perfect place for a picnic under the trees.
Offering local cheese, this “Mousetrap’ did tastings next to the cafe.
We got both Timboon Cheese and another local trail vendor, Apostle Whey Cheese.
We took our goodies the hour and a half drive back to our hostel for some snacks before dinner with another other local beer: Prickly Moses. For a real meal we walked from our hostel to the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse which had tons of Prickly Moses on tap in downtown Apollo Bay.
On Sunday we spent most of the day at the Otway Lighthouse before driving back to Melbourne. I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of food and pastries at the cafe onsite. Don’t be afraid to have a late breakfast or lunch here.
Outside Torquay was one last ice cream stop at Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery. This place is huge and had quite a long line. We chose to stick to the outside scooping section and were in and out within 20 minutes.
TIP: Keep track of all of your travel memories & food experiences in a journal.
What is your favorite things to try food or drink wise when traveling?