Known for its historical significance, Braidwood has emerged as a haven for amazing food, fine wines and unique shopping experiences.
As a remarkable destination in its own right, staying in Braidwood for a few nights is the best way to truly soak up the best of this heritage-listed town.
However, even if you only have time to pass through, here are 5 ways to take a taste of Braidwood with you.
Hold Fast Distillery
Hold Fast Distillery, Braidwood’s first licensed distillery, crafts high-quality whisky, gin, and vodka using top-notch ingredients sourced locally. They make the classics like Sloe Gin and London Dry Gin as well as more novel spirits like Fire Breather Vodka, which is infused with locally-sourced Carolina Reaper Chillies, one of the world’s hottest peppers.
Their distillery is nestled in the basement of the town’s oldest pub, the Braidwood Hotel; all their creations are brewed, distilled and bottled right there.
Pop in to taste and take away their drops — or take the time to embark on your own distilling journey with their gin-making workshop, Braidwood Gin School. In just 3 hours, learn the art of distilling and leave with your own handcrafted and labelled 500ml bottle of gin.
Braidwood Food Co
A champion of the slow food movement, Braidwood Food Co is your go-to destination for handmade pasta, flatbreads and spices that celebrate seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients. Whether grabbing holiday supplies or pantry staples, you’ll be blown away by the quality.
Their pasta is multi-award winning and features incredible flavour profiles like Australian Mountain Pepper and Roasted Garlic and Rocket. In fact, the Mountain Pepper they use comes from their own farm, which is Australia’s first commercial native pepper orchard!
Striving to foster a deeper connection between consumers and local farmers, their production kitchen is right next to their retail store — and is visible from the street. This is also where you can partake in half-day pasta making workshops; reach out directly for future dates.
Bees R Us
Whether you are a hobbyist or professional beekeeper or lover of honey, you’ll be buzzing with the selection of supplies and goods at Bees R Us. The husband-and-wife team behind Bees R Us have been in the industry since 2004, driven by a passion for good-value and good-quality products and protecting the health and wellbeing of bees.
In line with the town’s sustainability practices, Bees R Us’ honey is 100% pure Australian honey, free from sugar, chemicals and additives. The honey is cold extracted and coarse filtered to create a clean product without unwanted elements like wax. The honey’s authenticity is maintained by avoiding heat treatment. Whether you’re after pure honey or exotic varietals like cinnamon and Baileys, vanilla or combed honey, you’ll find it at Bees R Us.
There are also other offerings that you’ll love for your holiday or home like pure beeswax candles and beeswax wraps, an eco-friendly alternative to cling wrap.
Dojo Bread
Since 2006, Dojo Bread has been serving the town with traditional German-style breads, meticulously crafted on-site from scratch by a devoted and passionate team.
Their take on the dense Pumpernickel is ‘The Brick’, made from their own stoneground rye and organic stoneground wheat flour, coated with a mix of grains, fermented for 18 hours and slow baked for an hour. It is the perfect bread to travel with to elevate your picnics as it pairs perfectly with cheeses, smoked meats and chargrilled accompaniments.
Dojo Bread also offers pastries like croissants, pies and sausage rolls, seasonal specials like hot cross buns and the occasional dip and pickle in limited quantities.
Provisions Deli
Finally, Provisions is renowned for bringing the French galette to regional New South Wales — but it is also an incredible deli and pantry.
If you don’t have the time to sit in their beautiful courtyard and enjoy a crepe and French cider, then be sure to grab something from their selection of local and international cheese, charcuterie, coffee and wine for the road. Provisions also make antipasto platters and baguettes for ready-made yet gourmet experiences.
Looking for somewhere to dine in Braidwood? Visit our Eat & Drink page.
*Check all opening times prior to visiting
Written by Thuc Do, Fiction Agency, for Visit Queanbeyan-Palerang.