If You Know, You Know. And If You Don’t, You Should. Miller’s Is an Unmissable Bakery in an Unlikely Spot

You never know what you’re going to get at Miller’s Bread Kitchen. The rustic Dromana bakery has no online menu to scour ahead of time and the baked goods always rotate – it screams decision fatigue. But what it lacks in certainty, it makes up for in deliciousness.

Sister duo Rebecca and Vanessa Graley, as well as Vanessa’s husband, head baker Tyler Miller, and executive chef Tom Ward – are behind the Mornington Peninsula spot, which only opened in 2019, but has since gone on to cement itself as a local treasure. Their initial intention was to supply the region’s restaurants with good-quality bread. But the community had other ideas.

The shelves are stacked with all sorts of freshly baked loaves – everything from stoneground to olive-sumac sourdough, made with flour milled locally. You’ll also find the bread on tables at Montalto, Paringa Estate and other peninsula restaurants and wineries.

The pie warmer is always full of crowd-pleasers – such as decadent pies loaded with chicken, bacon, leek and chardonnay, or giant pork-and-fennel sausage rolls, both served with house-made relish. The saucy accompaniment is often made using excess homegrown produce from the community, exchanged for fresh bread and take-home lasagnes. You’ll also find a range of topnotch topped focaccias and sandwiches overflowing with seasonal produce. My go-to? A free-range-meatball sub with parmesan custard and fresh basil.

You’re just as spoilt for choice on the sweets front (and if it were up to the team, they’d
“change the menu every half hour”, Miller says). Go all-out with a creamy lemon-meringue danish, a classic cinnamon scroll or a vanilla slice with a croissant-inspired twist.

A former car wash in an industrial pocket seems like an unlikely spot for a bakery, but the lofty space was transformed with help from family and friends. It’s still got a warehouse feel, but it’s been warmed up with timber furnishings and plenty of greenery.

While it could still be considered a hidden gem for some Melburnians, it’s been so popular on the peninsula that the team opened a second spot, Miller’s Bread Cantina, on Mornington’s Main Street to “take the pressure off the Dromana shop [and] expand [its] reach”, Miller says.

And while we’re not holding our breath, there’s talk of a hole-in-the-wall city spot. And we’re excited. But for now, the Mornington Peninsula pair are well worth travelling to.

Miller’s Bread Kitchen
116 Nepean Highway, Dromana

Hours:
Mon to Fri 7am–3pm
Sat & Sun 8am–3pm

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