In short:

Joy Davis, 80, is hanging up her apron after almost 20 years in the kitchen at the Melbourne Royal Show.

Mrs Davis's commitment and craft in the kitchen earned her the title of Queen of Scones from her peers.

What's next:

The Country Women's Association says Mrs Davis leaves behind a lasting legacy in the kitchen.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Melbourne Royal Show kitchens will be without their 'Queen of Scones'.

Joy Davis, 80, has been forced to retire from her dream role in the kitchen at the show after reaching the age limit for volunteers.

Mrs Davis, known to her fellow volunteers as the 'Queen of Scones', says working at the show was a lifelong dream, and that she is proud of her lasting legacy of baking.

Hanging up her apron is bittersweet for Mrs Davis, who helped turn out a record 17,831 scones at last year's show.

"We say that I retired. I retired happily, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it," she said.

"The friendship and the companionship and working with other girls from right across the state, city and country, it was a great experience.

"If I had a chance again, a life again, I'd do it again."

The 2026 Melbourne Royal Show opens today.

Living her dreams

Mrs Davis said she always dreamed of following her mother's footsteps and joining the CWA.

She joined the CFA's Traralgon branch in Gippsland in November 1969, but it would take decades to work up to a gig at the show.

"The first year (at the show) I had one day, and I sort of buttered a few scones at the end of the day," she said.

"The next year I went for six days, and after that, each year I've been there the whole time, 11 days."

The art of scone-making caught Mrs Davis' eye, and she enlisted the skills of senior cooks to teach her their secrets.

As older generations retired, Mrs Davis eventually took over the scone scene, earning her regal title.

She said the secret to her success is quality and self-restraint.

"I believe you always use good ingredients and you don't handle them too much,"she said.

"You need a good, light hand. I think I'm a bit lucky to have that."

In her heyday, Mrs Davis could bake almost 1,000 scones per day for hungry punters at the show.

In 2012, she started keeping a tally of how many scones the team baked, a tradition that remains today.

"It's fairly long hours," Mrs Davis said. "I think I'm able to continue for a long time because I work at my own pace.

"No rustle, hustle and bustle.

"So that's my advice. Take your time and work at your own pace."

Mrs Davis' slow and steady approach has helped turn the show into CWA Victoria's biggest fundraising event each year.

The CWA's culinary team paid tribute to their colleague, who they said generously offered tips and tricks for the perfect scone with patience and a smile.

"She is a true CWA woman who has left a lasting legacy," said CWA Victoria president Marie Vassallo.

"Joy has been a wonderful mentor to hundreds of CWA members over the years."