Panini’s Bakery in Smithfield St voted Gympie’s best bakery

The bakery topped a tight field to claim the crown, beating out a list of worthy contenders, including Campbell’s Bake House Cooloola Cove, the Goomeri Bakery, Mi Bakery Gunalda, Baker’s Delight at Goldfields Plaza, Ed‘s Beach Bakery at Rainbow Beach and the Imbil Town and Country Bakery

Panini's Bakery Gympie staff Maddie Harragan, Rosie Stolzenberg, Jodie Baxter, Mimi Rogers, Donna Dunmore and Nikki Ross celebrate being voted the region’s best bakery.

The Beatles sang “all you need is love” and Panini’s Bakery is living proof.

The popular Smithfield Street business has pointed to this simple and ephemeral detail as the “secret” ingredient behind its success after being voted Gympie region’s most popular bakery by The Gympie Times readers.

The bakery topped a tight field to claim the crown, beating out a list of worthy contenders, including Campbell’s Bake House Cooloola Cove, the Goomeri Bakery, Mi Bakery Gunalda, Baker’s Delight at Goldfields Plaza, Ed‘s Beach Bakery at Rainbow Beach and the Imbil Town and Country Bakery.

Manager Nikki Ross called the win a wonderful achievement for the longtime CBD bakery, which has multiple members of three different Gympie families on its staff.

“We’re a family operated business,” she said.

Panini's Bakery Gympie staff Rosie Stolzenberg, Maddie Harragan, Jodie Baxter, Mimi Rogers, Donna Dunmore and Nikki Ross.

“One of the girls working here, her dad’s one of the pastry cooks. We have another girl here and her brother is a pastry cook.

“There’s a lot of family and they really take pride in their work; they enjoy what they’re doing.”

Then there was the extended community family, grown on the back of a more than 50-year history serving the region (it was once called the Golden Sponge).

It was this family she wanted to thank for this latest accolade.

“How can I explain it?,” Mrs Ross said.

“It’s awesome.

“It’s wonderful to think we’re voted the best.

“You couldn’t really ask for much better could you?”

“Thank you to the people that voted for us.

“Thanks for the support … especially in these hard times; last year we were struggling.”

Originally published as Panini’s Bakery in Smithfield St voted Gympie’s best bakery