The pie. Surely our most iconic food, the lowly, unpretentious pie is at the core of any true New Zealander’s diet. In my youth these were “maggot packs”, the most basic form of nourishment you could plunk down your school lunch money for, and available in a long list of tempting flavours: mince, steak & cheese, or potato top. Large-scale attempts to give pie-consuming society a gourmet product range began with Ponsonby Pies in 1989, and their success gave others an incentive to improve the standard – and the variety – of our national dish.
The bar continues to be raised thanks to events such as the Bakels NZ Pie Awards, which this week elicited 5284 entries from 540 bakers around the country, and announced its Supreme Winner on Tuesday night. Patrick Lam, of Tauranga’s Gold Star Bakery, cooked his way to victory with a heavenly bacon & egg pie. Patrick is no novice at wooing the judges taste buds, having won five Supreme Pie Awards since 2003, and a total of 56 other awards in the competition. The bakery also took home a Silver Award in the steak & cheese category, and a Highly Commended for its cointreau pear, apple & cherry cheesecake pie.
Now being winter, we all know that a good steaming pie is irresistible on a gloomy, wet day. For those who can’t make it to Tauranga, let’s acknowledge the winners from each of the 12 categories – there must be one near you!
Mince & Gravy
- Gold – Mab Chheur, Angkor Wat Kiwi Bakery & Café, 110 Dickens Street, Napier
- Silver – Roger Cathro, Pak n Save Petone, 114 Jackson Street, Petone, Wellington
- Bronze – Vichheka Lieng, Blagdon Bakery, 555 Devon St West, New Plymouth
Steak (Diced) & Gravy
- Gold – Michael Kuoy, Counties Bakeries, 2 Queen Street, Pukekohe
- Silver – Srieng Choeu, Fresh Bun Café, 42 George Street, Tuakau
- Bronze – Eav Huy Ing, Bakehouse Café Ngaruawahia, 94 Great South Rd, Ngaruawahia
Chicken & Vegetable
- Gold – Savanchamroeun Ly, Savans Bakery, 56 Queen St, Warkworth
- Silver – David Liem, Greenland Bakery & Café, 3 Market Square, Botany Town Centre, Auckland
- Bronze – Tongmin Li, Hillpark Bakery, 75 Grande Vue Rd, Manurewa
Gourmet Fruit
- Gold – Bunnarith Sao (Blueberry, Spiced Apple & Apricot), Dairy Flat Bakery, 1443 Dairy Flat Highway, RD4, Auckland
- Silver – Dan Shaw (Caramelised Walnut, Black Doris Plum), Havelock North New World, 400 Heretaunga St East, Hastings City
- Bronze – Try Kong (Apple), Bakers Oven, 687 Whangaparoa Rd, Stanmore Bay
Gourmet Meat
- Gold – Roger Cathro (Steak & Mushroom), Pak n Save Petone, 114 Jackson Street, Petone, Wellington
- Silver – Try Kong (Mushroom, Bacon & Cheese), Bakers Oven, 687 Whangaparoa Rd, Stanmore Bay
- Bronze – Geemun Chao (Venison, Mushroom, Bacon & Cheese), Baker Bobs Bakery & Café, 135 Chadwick Rd, Greerton, Tauranga
Vegetarian
- Gold – Jason Danielson (Broccoli, Pumpkin & Carrot), The Bakery Wholesale, 17 Frederick St, Wanaka
- Silver – Raymond Khau (Potato, Pumpkin & Kumara), Better Quality Pies Ltd, 2 Tarewa Rd, Rotorua
- Bronze – Geemun Chao (Spinach, Pumpkin & Kumara), Baker Bobs Bakery & Café, 135 Chadwick Rd, Greerton, Tauranga
Bacon & Egg
- Gold – Patrick Lam, Patrick’s Pie Group, 19 Bethlehem Rd, Tauranga
- Silver – David Liem, Greenland Bakery & Café, 3 Market Square, Botany Town Centre, Auckland
- Bronze – Eav Huy Ing, Bakehouse Café Ngaruawahia, 94 Great South Rd, Ngaruawahia
Mince & Cheese
- Gold – Buntheng Wong, Panmure Bakehouse, 12 Pilkington Rd, Panmure, Auckland
- Silver – Sreymoh Vong, Julia’s Bakery, 128b Main Highway, Ellerslie, Auckland
- Bronze – Neville Jackson, Jackson’s Bakery, 15 Middle Rd, Havelock North
Steak & Cheese
- Gold – Geemun Chao, Baker Bobs Bakery & Café, 135 Chadwick Rd, Greerton, Tauranga
- Silver – Patrick Lam, Patrick’s Pie Group, 19 Bethlehem Rd, Tauranga
- Bronze – Lee Ing, Fast & Fresh Bakery, 8 Horonatangi St, Taupo
Potato Top
- Gold – Roger Cathro, Pak n Save Petone, 114 Jackson St, Petone, Wellington
- Silver – Oudorm Lai, Corner Bakery, 180a Hillsborough Rd, Auckland
- Bronze – Geemun Chao, Baker Bobs Bakery & Café, 135 Chadwick Rd, Greerton, Tauranga
Commercial/Wholesale
- Gold – Terry McMahon, Couplands Bakeries, Cnr Carmen & Buchanans Rds, Hornby, Christchurch
- Silver – Eddie Grooten, Dad’s Pies, 54 Forge St, Silverdale, Auckland
- Bronze – Murray Swetman, Ponsonby Pies, 144 Birch Ave, Tauranga
Cafe Boutique
- Gold – Brad Dalton (Smoked Warehou & Tarakihi), Ginger Dynamite, 488 Main South Rd, Pawaka RD3, Motueka
- Silver – Fiona Townsend (Cream of Chicken, Leek, Carrot, Celery, Ham & Cheese), Replenish Café, 287 Stafford St, Timaru
- Bronze – Melissa Kelsey (Pork, Kumara & Apple), Warkworth New World, 6 Percy St, Warkworth
SUPREME
Patrick Lam (Bacon & Egg), Patrick’s Pie Group, 19 Bethlehem Rd, Tauranga
Congratulations Patrick, and congratulations Tauranga!
