BREAKFAST in a bakery. It’s always a winning start to the day, if the bakery cuts it. Let’s face it, some are terribly ordinary, using pre-packaged “stuff” to “bake” and others sweat it out preparing everything in-house, from scratch. Such as the new EQ Bakery at the Equinox Business Park in Deakin.

Opened for about six weeks, EQ Bakery is the little sister of the successful EQ Café and Lounge.

Partners Wally Rao and Will Shippard could see a gap in the market in the area for a scrumptious line-up of eats that can be served quickly and with great coffee. Items change regularly. Juices are pressed daily. All smallgoods sourced locally where possible. Trust me, this all adds up to a quality experience.

The ham on my ham, cheese and tomato toastie (generous serve), for example, actually tasted like ham. Sounds weird to put that in writing but “bland” is the name of the game when smallgoods aren’t of the highest order.

This Grandmother Ham comes from a fully boned leg, which is hand trimmed and smoked over German beech. It’s award-winning, including a gold medal from the Royal Melbourne Show last year. The cheese was top-notch Italian provolone.

Savoury options are stacked high on the shelves when the bakery opens and diminish quickly. Wally says the slow-cooked beef is prepared overnight, the Italian salami is superb and the savoury pies made fresh (three varieties).

Now for the sweets. What’s a bakery without an impressive array of sweets?

The pure butter croissants look amazing and, as I enjoyed my little brekkie, I could see the brioche donuts and cannoli marching out the door. Wally says everyone’s favourite, the vanilla slice, does too.

Fave cakes include the chocolate mousse with chocolate meringue and the rocky road log. Loaves of bread are stacked on shelves behind the cash register and can be ordered to take away.

Fresh juices, the day I visited, included a raspberry, cranberry, pear and orange combo as well as a mango, passion fruit, pear, banana and orange blend. Healthy as…

The EQ operation offers free internet access. If eating in, you order at the bar, grab a number and are served at your table. No doubt the big outdoor area, which gets quite a bit of sun, will be the most popular once spring well and truly settles in.

Parking can be a bit of a challenge, although there is now a full underground paid parking area.

Equinox Business Park, 70 Kent Street, Deakin. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 4.30pm.