Robertson's Famous Pie Shop
First Shown: 8 October 2018 on YouTube
Today Jeff, Fiona (Jeff's daughter) and I did a road trip to have lunch at the Robertson Pie Shop because Jeff claimed their pies were the best pies he has ever eaten. So, we set off at about 11am for a 130km drive south from Sydney.
The township of Robertson is located on the edge of an elevated plateau (the Illawarra escarpment) about 35kms from the coast. It is known for its high annual rainfall and fertile soil. It was previously covered by an extensive temperate rainforest, most of which has been cleared for farming though remnants such as Robertson Nature Reserve still exist today.
All went well, we turned onto the Hume Highway and stayed on it until we reached the outskirts of Mittagong where we left the Hume Highway as it by-passed Mittagong and we wanted to take the scenic route and go through Mittagong and Bowral to take the Kangaloon/Sheepwash Road route to Robertson. In the past, Bowral served as a rural summer retreat for the gentry of Sydney, resulting in the establishment of a number of estates and manor houses in the district. Today, it is considered a 'dormitory suburb' for commuter Sydney-siders. We drove for 90 minutes, 115kms, before made our first mistake.
We drove straight through a roundabout that kept us on Sheepwash Road instead of turning left onto the Illawarra Highway and travelled 4kms before we realised we were now, on the wrong road. We backtracked a kilometre and turned right into Wilds Meadow Road, just for the fun of it. It was so peaceful on that road as we navigated our way back onto the Illawarra Highway, so far from home.
The detour only took us a few extra minutes to get to Robertson and soon we pulled up at the Robertson's Famous Pie Shop.
Robertson was once famous for cheese production. Surrounded by lush pasture, now used for beef and dairy production, Robertson is also widely known for potato growing and is the home of the "Big Potato".
Jeff was right. This must be the Famous Pie Shop. It says so, right there, painted on the building.
We entered the building. It didn't look too famous to me, although it might be more crowded on week-ends. We were there for pies so didn't fuss over other edible delights. We obtained our lunch, pie and soft-drink and sat at one of the tables inside. It was hot out yet there were some people sitting outside under trees.
After lunch we drove back into the town centre to stop at the Robertson Inn for a refreshing beverage before heading back home. As far as being the 'best pies ever eaten' I'm not so sure, but the drive and company of two friends made it all worthwhile.
