Overview
A fun-loving new contender has crashed Melbourne's pastry scene and it's out to woo the sweet-toothed masses with its plant-based treats, party-ready attitude and late-night hours.
Fittingly dubbed Weirdoughs, the CBD spot has quite the crew behind it, marking a collaboration between the co-founders of legendary vegan fast food joint Lord of The Fries, Mark Koronczyk, Amanda Walker and Sam Koronczyk, and the two brothers — Mark and Attil Filippelli — who brought you fellow plant-based heroes Matcha Mylkbar and Mark & Vinny's.
One-hundred-percent vegan, with a clear appetite for fun, Weirdoughs has set up shop on Flinders Lane, its fit-out of psychedelic colours and novelty mirrors heralding good times every day. The store's even open until the wee hours on Fridays and Saturdays, with DJs serving up a sparkly mix of hip hop and electronica to match.
Here, the pastries are all about teaming traditional technique with innovative flair. The kitchen, helmed by former Vue Group Executive Pastry Chef Kane Neal, is out to smash those preconceptions and prove that butter's no longer a necessity for flavour-packed baked goods. It's swapping out the dairy for a special blend of cashew, macadamia and coconut oil.
By day, expect a selection of sweet and savoury creations, like a custard 'Weirdoughnut', oozing golden turmeric custard and smothered in rhubarb sherbet sugar, a cube-shaped take on the croissant and even an all-vegan version of the humble ham and cheese croissant.
Meanwhile, catering to Melbourne's weirdest and most wonderful late-night cravings, Weirdough's After Dark menu features left-field bites like an Aperol spritz doughnut with champagne custard, blood orange sugar and popping candy, and a rotation of 'Weird-I-Screams', that'll see croissant cones filled with some very unlikely flavours.
The drinks list is equally unapologetic, with the likes of flavoured chais, fudgy cacao hot chocolates infused with peanut butter, and a special St Ali coffee blend designed specifically for dairy-free milk.
Find Weirdoughs at 241 Flinders Lane, Melbourne from November 14. It's open 7am–4pm Monday to Friday and 8am–2pm Saturday and Sunday. Weirdoughs After Dark is open from sunset till late on Friday and Saturday.
Images: Kate Shanasy.