It’s amazing that you can drive 30 minutes on the Eastern Freeway and you go from dense high rise buildings to bucolic semi-rural vistas.
In amongst some enormous acreage residences is Petty’s Orchard. It’s a working organic apple orchard and it’s been around since the turn of last century when the Petty family worked the Homestead Road land.
Apparently Doncaster and Templestowe used to be covered in orchards and Petty‘s Orchard Templestowe is now maintained by the Heritage Fruit Society in an effort to conserve heritage apple varieties.
Pettys apple orchard grows 217 varieties of organic heritage apples and the site includes an antique apple orchard, commercial orchard, wetlands and bird hide.
For visitors, as well as visiting the heritage apple orchard there is a spacious Yarra Organics shop with organic and locally grown produce and a variety of organic grocery products, drinks, treats and dairy products.
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Petty’s Orchard Cafe
After you do your shopping you can also enjoy breakfast and lunch at the Pettys Orchard cafe. Check the Petty’s Orchard cafe opening hours before you go but it is generally open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
They serve Jasper organic coffee (with organic milk and sugar), Bocastle gourmet pies and rolls plus tarts, cakes and baked goods made by the local cake lady.
This cake lady is very talented, as my silverbeet, leek and roasted cherry tomato tart is fresh and wholesome with a decadent buttery shortcrust pastry – for a bargain price of $6.50.
Make sure you make room for dessert. My massive apple pie is stuffed with chunky apples (from the orchard presumably) set me back a mere $4.80. I didn’t think you could still get a slice of cafe cake for under $5 in Melbourne any more, let alone enough pie to serve two!
Petty’s Orchard is particularly family-friendly if you’re visiting with kids as outside there’s a playground and plenty of grass for running around and inside the shop is a small indoor play area as well with books and toys galore.
The Petty’s Orchard cafe seating is close enough to the playground that you can enjoy your drinks and food while the kids run around.
Lady AB loves climbing on the tractor!
Pettys Orchards is a hidden gem for foodies, gardeners and families and it’s only 30 minutes drive from the CBD. If you’re planning a visit the Heritage Fruit Society run a series of events at Petty’s Orchard throughout the year, including antique apple tastings every second Sunday. For more information click here. In Spring (October) there’s even a Blossom Festival at the orchard.
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