the pickers union

awesome little cafe neatly tucked away in an industrial area. i often drove the extra 10 minutes just for a coffee here. top rating as the coffee is always consistently good, and the service is always on point, the cleanliness and the general vibe of the place is very welcoming and relaxed. certainly drop in for a coffee and a bite before spending all your loose change at the vintage market next door!

it has been a while since i've last gone on a road trip, so when i received an invite from the pickers union, i jumped at the chance.

with a menu that offers a unique twist on brunch classics, i was spoilt for choice on what to order. the boozy iced chocolate was definitely on the top of my list. spiked with kahlua and baileys, this creamy and rich iced chocolate hit the spot! my partner ordered the cold brew and a housemade pink grapefruit soda, and enjoyed both tremendously. both fruity and refreshing, but each in its own special way.

since i was indulging in such a naughty drink, i went with the charcoal lava bowl to balance it out. topped with strawberries, banana, almond granola and coconut, the toppings added a multitude of textures and flavours to the velvety smooth smoothie. very filling too!

the clever idea of using garlic bread took the simple and humble egg benny to another level of yum. the robust and punchy flavours of the garlic helped intensify the rich savoriness of the bacon and hollandaise sauce, resulting in a very dreamy dish.

to end our meal, we shared a jam doughnut muffin, which we were told attracted quite the cult following - people driving from melbourne just for the doughnuts, and also a mention in broadsheet. we definitely could see why this was the case. moist and crumbly in texture, a crusty outside layer, and a generous serve of sweet and tart strawberry jam within.

it was definitely worth the 1 hour drive, as i not only got to enjoy an amazing lunch, but also spent a carefree afternoon browsing the geelong vintage market that the cafe opens onto. thank you so much for the invite!

we were invited to picker’s union so decided to take advantage of the last week of summer and head down to torquay for the day and pitstop into geelong for lunch. we were super impressed with the interior but the outside was equally cool with those hanging chairs i’m always too scared to sit in.

the inside actually connects into the vintage market via a side door so we took the opportunity to check that out afterwards too. food wise there were many things to tempt, loaded banana bread, donut muffins and black forest waffles to name a few, but we stayed on the health path today (with great difficulty) selecting the buddha salad with honey salmon, the black lava bowl and the smashed avocado.

the smoothie bowl was coloured with activated charcoal which is something i quite enjoy (although you do need to do a quick check to ensure your teeth aren’t black!) and was rather pretty to look at. the flavour was spot on so they should consider offering smoothies as drinks too. as it stands they have boozy shakes and a whole host of other options.

i was able to take the salmon from my partners buddha bowl and pair it with my avo which was very yummy. as far as smashed avo dishes go this one was thoroughly enjoyable. the addition of the romesco sauce on the plate gave it a little kick and really elevated and differentiated it from the typical offering this classic dish generally is. definitely worth checking out, even if you aren’t local we all love a good road trip

awesome place for brunch with a friend. gets super busy on the weekend but they are always accommodating. had the eggs benedict, was made well and not drowned in hollandaise like you find sometimes. also had some slices/cakes to follow it up and all tasted beautiful. definitely one of the great brekky spots in geelong!

great atmosphere at the pickers union and the food & coffee is even better! the staff are friendly and the service is spot on! i love the decor, it really makes you fell like you're in palm springs. would definitely recommend them!

love the food and service here. next to a vintage market, the cafe has a retro look and staff was very friendly and warm. my salmon salad was delicious as well as the mushroom burger we had. my baby had a great time too!

the *best* coffee in geelong. these guys beat the coffee cartel at their own game with the coffee cartel's own beans. the food is pricey, and the menu changes often but it has been good to great most times we've been there.
update 2018: the last few times we have been, the coffee hasn't been quite as good - different baristas than when i initially wrote this review.

had a brekky roll from here on sunday and the place was packed which speaks volumes of the customer service and quality of the food and coffee .... highly recommended

great outdoor seating in a boutique café.
staff were just so friendly and a pleasure to interact with.their amazing selections of tea had me very curious, so i went for a mango chilli pot of tea.  subtle in flavour .
also ordered at the table was a baked donut and cheesecake. rather busy and a nice display case of sweets available.great place to sit and have a chat away from the hustle and bustle found at a street side café

great food, friendly service! if you’re going from melbourne to geelong it’s a cute stop over! the market is a cool place to look around after you eat. would definitely eat here again

we came here on sunday past after previously coming here around 6 months ago. between then and now it's obvious the establishment is going a much more modern and trendy theme which personally resonates with us quite well. first of all to quickly knit pick before food is touched on, please don't make patrons get their own glasses, water and menu's, bring it out when you take the orders.

to start off coffee was great, lots of complexity but unfortunately my (nic) order for two coffees (yes snob i know) was interpreted as one coffee, but it was great either way.

my eggs benedict was delicious and would happily order again. 

zoe's beef brisket burger we ordered from the menu was upon arrival a chicken burger which according to management should have been advised when we ordered as the beef brisket wasn't very popular. grey chicken, soggy crumbing, sinewy, boring mayo and slaw and a really soggy bun. in my opinion as we love chicken burgers, get rid of it or adjust it accordingly and match what everyone else does with their chicken burgers would be our harsh but needed criticism.

despite this, i can not fault management in picking up our queues of dissatisfaction and advising me that i was to not pay for the chicken burger as he knew a) it wasn't we ordered and it wasn't up to scratch. i can only show how much that means by saying that despite this unfortunate dining, we will be back. had the situation be handled differently, i wouldn't be back.  many upon many applause to a manager (owner potentially) who holds themselves to a standard.

we popped in for a late lunch and the place was buzzing. lovely decor and the menu was compact but looked appealing. service was a bit lack lustre with our meals taking about 35 minutes and we had to remind the waitess that we'd ordered sparkling water...which they didn't have after being reminded. friends had the pulled pork and cornbread which they said was tasty. i had the super salad which was the only gf lunch option. the chips are listed as gf but fried with everything else so cross contamination is an issue. the salad was dry and the only reason i finished it was that i was starving. i asked for more dressing and had to ask a second time and when it arrived it was a green paste with little to no flavour. not sure that we'd go back which is a shame as it's a lovely little cafe in a good location if you're out on a treasure hunt.

too expensive waitress doesn't smile, chef doesnt wear a beard net. drinks are very cold, very expensive. freezing inside 2 air-conditions going at the same time right on me.

hidden in a less well known part of geelong and away from the centre of the geelong cbd is the pickers union. it was slightly hard for us to find but it was worth the trip. the atmosphere was warm and friendly and i particularly liked the warm and cosy setup they have.

the coffee was smooth and the blend strong. i went for the 3 mush-kateers which was thyme roasted mushrooms, duxelle, puree, bulgarian fetta and fried eggs served on sourdough. it was delicious. hubby went for poached free range eggs with chorizo. both was filling and delicious. yes, they are slightly a bit pricier than most places, but they do coffee well and the food is worth the visit.

great little cafe next to the vintage market. peanut butter hot choc is so satisfying. very health conscious restaurateur and great use of activated charcoal.