The ‘best meat pie you’ve ever had’ might be from your local bakery, but the winners of this competition take piemaking to the next level.
Since 1989, the Great Aussie Pie Competition has been improving the pie and sausage roll scene across Australia. Now, in its 36th year, we have a new set of winners who have taken titles for more than 20 categories.
From the weird and wonderful flavours, like butter chicken or ‘Rustic Rabbit’, to the classics of plain mince, pepper steak and sausage roll, there’s an award for every kind of savoury bakery item out there. With over 1500 entries from 200 bakeries, this year, the judges were in for a long 4 days of trying and testing. But, in the end, there was a clear outlier.
The ultimate winner of the top ‘Plain Pie’ category is none other than Paradise Bakehouse in Bundaberg, QLD!
The mince pie from Paradise Bakehouse
Paradise Bakehouse in Bundaberg is no stranger to baking awards. They’ve already got a host of trophies from previous years of entering the Great Aussie Pie Competition. Winning the plain meat pie in 2023, these piemakers are experts in all things meat pie.
Although the category is of the ‘plain’ variety, there’s nothing plain about the flavour, texture and delicious composition of the Paradise Bakehouse mince pie. This year, Paradise Bakehouse also took out another award, the Apprentice Vegetarian Pie for Veggie Lover by Thi Phuong Khanh.
The winners of the other top categories are:
- Winner of the Plain Pie: Paradise Bakehouse, Bundaberg QLD – Mince
- Winner of the Plain Sausage Roll: Banana Boogie, Belair SA – Beef
- Winner of the Gourmet Pie: Mt Barket County Bakehouse, WA – Beef Bourguignon
- Winner of the Gourmet Sausage Roll: Samuel Gee’s Pies & Pastries, Balaclava NSW – BBQ Meat Lovers
- Winner of the Meat Pastie: Miami Bakehouse, Greenfields WA
- Tom Lindsay Pepper Steak Award: M&D Butchery Port Cygnet, Tasmania – Chunky Pepper
- The John Ross Innovative Pie: Jack’s Cafe & Bakery, Halls Head WA – Beef Wellington
See the full list of winners in all categories on the Great Aussie Pie Competition website.
How the Great Aussie Pie competition decides the winners
The judges of the Great Aussie Pie Competition have 4 long days of judging all of the pies, sausage rolls and meat pasties that have entered. There’s a strict judging criterion for each type of baked good, which includes general appearance, size and taste of filling and pastry.
When judging, the pie or roll will be tasted both hot and cold, and must be an adequate size for a standard single-serve lunch (although there are no set weight limits).
The chosen few who do get to judge this esteemed competition are all professionals in the pie space. The panel consists of industry representatives, qualified bakers and pastry cooks.
On the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition website, they helpfully outline what makes a ‘good pie’ in their books:
“A base that is 2-3 mm thick with a nice, even cooked-through bake. Good lamination on the lid with natural colour. Filling that doesn’t run, is stable and has good sensory appeal (taste, smell, texture, and aftertaste).”
To your average joe, a good meat pie is within close distance and is warm and ready for eating!
If you can’t make the trip to Paradise Bakehouse or any of the other pie champions on the list, then you can be your own pie winner at home. Here are a couple of our fave pie recipes that will crown you victor of the family dinner table:
This Aussie staple is impossible to resist. The filling for this meat pie recipe is a slow-cooked casserole style. If you’re short on time, prepare this Australian meat pie recipe earlier on, then add puff pastry on the day.
Shepherd’s Pie is a firm winter family favourite for a reason: it’s easy to make, hearty and full of vegetables. You need to try this recipe because you haven’t had a Shepherd’s Pie until you’ve had a Fassnidge Shepherd’s Pie.
Making an old fashioned chicken, mushroom and leek pie is one of life’s simple pleasures. So what are you waiting for? Dust off those rolling pins and get ready to fill your kitchen with the beautiful aroma of a grandmother’s tried-and-true pie recipe.
Pot pies have always been popular, but usually with chicken as the main protein. Pair that with potato and leek and you’ve got a delicious family dinner perfect for the colder Autumn weather. Better still, you can make it quickly, thanks to a canned soup cheat.
Bake melt-in-your-mouth meat pies in no time with this ingredient hack – storebought pastry. Add good value chuck steak and it’s a budget and taste winner!
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