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There’s lots to love about a golden, flaky croissant. Thousands of buttery, paper-thin layers. A shattering, flaky crust that gets everywhere. Buttery, slightly sweet, toasty flavour. Best enjoyed in the sun with a coffee when you’re not running late. And here in Sydney, we’ve got many notable beauties, from Kate Reid’s Lune to Rollers Bakehouse in Manly and Lucien Baked Goods in Parramatta.
Now, Australia’s best croissants have been revealed, and a NSW bakery came in second place. If that doesn’t call for a road trip, we don’t know what will.
The results of the Professional Bakery Competition at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show are officially out, awarding medals to Australia’s finest breads, pastries, cakes, biscuits and baked goodies. Out of all the trophy winners, we have our eyes firmly on one prize: the best plain croissant. Each buttery entry was blind-judged in the Viennoiserie category against five core criteria: visual appeal, texture, technique and artistry, flavour balance and overall finish.
Claiming second place for 2026 was Crois, a tiny Wollongong bakery that had been open for less than a year.
Its plain croissant landed just behind the Gold Coast’s Burleigh Baker, which took home the top honours, and ahead of Canberra favourite Three Mills Bakery, which took the bronze.
The independent bakery in Wollongong is run by pastry chef Matt Taylor, who spent almost 20 years working in Michelin-starred restaurants and five-star hotels. The croissants are handmade and baked daily by Taylor – and are a three-day labour of love.
And it’s only about a 1.5-hour drive from Sydney, making it a very doable pastry road trip (one of our personal favourites).
You can check out the full results from the 2026 Professional Bakery Competition here.
Find out more about Crois here.
Address: 75 Market St, Wollongong NSW 2500
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