Pies are a hot topic at the moment, excuse the pun!
Bakels recently announced their top picks at the Bakels Supreme Pie Awards.
The awards, judged by 18 bakers and food industry identities including top chef Al Brown and Bakels CEO Duncan Loney, carry great prestige amongst bakers and are considered a yardstick of quality for pies in New Zealand.
This year the competition drew more entries than ever before, with 4,500 pies from 444 bakeries. Fillings ranged from the traditional steak and cheese to the more exotic, such as Asian beef with shitake and star anise.
The supreme award was won by Viands Bakery of Kihikihi, for the second year running. Their winning entry was a gingered peach and pear with Cointreau pie.
We’ve compiled a list of our favourite Auckland venues that serve a delicious pie so you can experience some pie taste sensations for yourself.
A mark of a great chef is their ability to turn ordinary or even boring ingredients into something special and this is exactly what the chef at Newmarket’s Little & Friday has done with their mince pie. There’s nothing dull about it! It’s superb and has to be tried to be believed. Next time you’re on one of those Newmarket shopping expeditions, pop in and grab one.
Price: $8
Kingsland café and deli The Fridge has built a reputation over the past few years for the quality of its legendary gourmet pies. They do fantastic coffee and cabinet food here too, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better example of the pie maker’s art in Auckland. Pies at The Fridge have a decent meat to pastry ratio, are bursting with flavour and the pastry isn’t too flaky. For these reasons they get a big thumbs up.
Price: $7.50 to $8.50
The Food Room in Ponsonby Road is also a real heavyweight in the quality pie stakes. The watchword is tried and true, traditional flavours: steak, mince and cheese, chicken and creamy mushroom and steak and mushroom. If you don’t feel like cooking, why not order one of The Food Room’s great family size pies, they’re big enough to feed the whole tribe!
Prices: $6.80 to $7.30
Dad’s Pies really is the daddy of them all. They started life in a small shop on the Hibiscus Coast 30 years ago and now supply pies to a number of well known Kiwi businesses including BP’s Wild Bean Café, Esquires, Brumby’s Bakeries and New World supermarkets, as well as exporting them to Asia. You can also pick up a pie from Dad’s shop in Silverdale.
When you’ve got a product that good you have to share it!
Dad’s does two great ranges of pies: “Classic” and “Gourmet”. The Classic line features the favourites we know and love, such as mince n’ cheese, steak, chicken and vege. The “Gourmet” selection includes Thai Chicken, Anguspure steak and cheese, and Butter Chicken.
Prices: small pies $2.50, large pies $4.50 from Dad’s Pies shop in Silverdale
If you’re a pie lover working in the CBD, then you’re probably already familiar with Pie Mania. We’re sure you won’t mind us letting the rest of Auckland in on this not-so-secret mecca for pie aficionados. Pie Mania’s large menu is packed with delectable gourmet pie options like spinach and feta, steak and blue cheese and Mediterranean lamb that make it worth going out of your way for.
Prices: $4.30 to $5.30 depending on filling
Editorial by Nicholas Chidley
14 August 2012
These pies all sounds delicious but nothing beats a Jimmy's Pie! #ProudOfTheSouth
3:31PM, 28th Aug 2012
Yes!! I love Jimmys Pies. They are world famous in the South Island!
3:44PM, 28th Aug 2012