Hidden in the back streets of Berry is a foodie fun spot which houses The Treat factory and Dairy Bar.
What an ideal place to set up an operation of Chocolate confectionery and Gelato on a site that pays testament to their historic past - the original Berry central creamery. Built in 1895 to manufacture butter, by 1900 it became the first factory in NSW to pasteurise cream into milk and it became a famous milk producer and supplier. In 2016, they opened a new processing facility on old creamery lane. Now the old creamery is a cafe, gelato bar and treat factory.
They use top quality local dairy ingredients sourced from South Coast Dairy who are right next door. The Dairy Bar have a cow to cone concept. Taking advantage of the freshest ingredients from right next door, and cows from the farm on site to make their fresh gelato. They have the capability to make 6 litres of gelato in 45 minutes and always have a new flavour each week.
They have won a swag of awards at the Dairy cheese awards at the Sydney Fine Food awards, including 4 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze. During our visit, Sarah from the Dairy Bar informed us Gelato has less fat than ice cream, allowing more flavour to hit the palate. We were surprised to hear their decadent dark chocolate gelato is dairy free, using only cocoa butter and we can attest for its deliciousness.
The dairy bar is also a cafe, serving plenty of sweet dishes like creative waffles and sundaes and some home style food like loaded toasties, steak sandwiches, hot dogs, big brekkies, Devonshire tea and a dairy farmers lunch to name a few.
The family also has 4 generations of condiment making, and also make chocolate and confectionery at the Treat factory next door. It's always so nice to buy straight from the producer. Whilst the store itself is not very noticable from the front, look to your left to the ramp there and be sure to pay it a visit.
Once entering, you'll notice that the store is larger than you would believe. Whether you like sweet or savoury, you will certainly be like a kid in a candy store. On the left is a chocolate counter where you can sample and purchase a range of different treats including the newly discovered third 'ruby' chocolate. They produce over 250 kg of chocolate and much of it is only available in store or online.
This room also has a plethora of jams, chutneys and other condiments with creative flavour combinations. We bought a few to take home, including a super delicious beetroot and horseradish dip. They produce over 5000 units of condiments and preserves each week and are distributed all over Australia.
Another room contains the handcrafted confectionery, and with a nod to the nostalgia of the typical old candy store, they do plenty of our old favourites like musk sticks, caramel buds and licorice all sorts. There's also some modern variations of chocolate, and plenty of sugared delights like strawberry chews, lollipops pops and marshmallows.
Head down stairs and find some savoury delights, with a bunch of items in the fridges including cheese and cured meats. There are also a range of spices, nut spreads, sauces and you can even get some smoked garlic bulbs. Your one stop stop for all things sweet and savoury.
The treat factory and dairy bar is a foodie heaven. Check them out when in Shoalhaven and the Berry Area. read more
