Homemade food is one of the attractions which truckies like when they visit the Westerway Roadhouse, a remote spot in Tasmania.
For the past four and half years it has been run by Sharyn Wakefield and her husband Andrew who is a renowned cook.
It is located 29km north-west of New Norfolk town and is open from 5am to 6pm on weekdays and from 6am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Spy had never heard of the roadhouse in 16 visits to Tasmania and was told about it recently by truckies who patronise it.
Sharyn said 10 to 15 trucks a day regularly stop there, which increases during snow season.
“The trucks carry gravel, logs and other material and goods, and they order lots of food,” Sharyn said.
When Spy spoke to Sharyn by phone, hubby Andrew had just finished baking some of his homemade pies which drivers love.
“We are very biker, traveller and truckie-friendly and offer down to earth non-fancy food, good old-fashioned burgers and standard takeaway stuff,” she said.
“Great Botero Coffee is not your standard roadhouse coffee. Andrew does a lot of inhouse baking and his Peppered Lamb pies are becoming very well known. Our beef pies and our sausage rolls are very popular with drivers.”
The roadhouse has five part time staff and is always willing to help charities or those in need with fundraising.
There is not a great deal of parking outside, especially for bigger trucks, but Sharyn said that most pull up at different times, so it isn’t a problem.
Sharyn added that when they took over the roadhouse it had been run down.
“Most of the profits are invested back into the roadhouse,” she said.