13 Market Lane, Manly, New South Wales

Continuing my quest to check out what are reputed to be some of Sydney’s best bakeries, I made the trek to Manly to try Infinity Bakery. This is a small shop located in the laneway running parallel behind the Corso, Manly’s main pedestrian thoroughfare, so it’s hidden away from much of the tourist foot traffic. The Manly outlet is one of three Sydney locations, with other shops in Paddington and Darlinghurst.

There are a few cafe tables, and a small selection of sandwiches and pastries (no vanilla slice, unfortunately), but mostly they sell loaves and bread rolls. But there’s also a warmer holding a few pies, sausage rolls, and two different types of vegetarian rolls (spinach and feta; and pumpkin, chickpea, and feta).

I order a sausage roll (labelled as a “beef sausage roll”) and a lamb, pea, and carrot pie, and take them to a table for my lunch. The roll looks generous, and has a smooth tubular shape, a bit like a cannelloni, a rich orange-brown baked colour on top, sprinkled generously with sesame seeds. But the immediate thing I notice is that there is literally hot roast meat juice oozing out and dripping onto the plate. I pick up the roll carefully to avoid dripping hot juices onto myself, and take a bite.

I have scarcely begun chewing, and I say to Mrs Snot Block & Roll, sitting opposite me and enjoying a croissant, “This is a ten out of ten!” It is instantly an amazing taste sensation – delicious, juicy meat filling, with a firm texture and beautifully seasoned flavour. The pastry is really secondary to the wonder that is the filling, but it serves the purpose of providing a casing to hold onto admirably. It is a little crumbly and flaky on the outside and would be suitably textured throughout if the interior weren’t in contact with that incredibly juicy meat. So the inside of the pastry is a touch soggy, but that’s completely understandable and in no way a flaw here. The beef filling is a good solid chunk, cooked firm, with slivers of carrot and tiny specks of fresh herbs throughout.

It’s rich and decadent and after I’ve finished I don’t want my pie – I want another one of these. Astoundingly good. I’ll definitely be coming back here for more in the future.

Beef sausage roll: 10/10