By Seamus Boyer
It’s a long road to the perfect pie.
In fact, if you live in Wairarapa, it’s a bloody long way.
About 230km to the best mince pie, 480km to the best steak and cheese, and a whopping 950km to the best vegetarian.
The winners of the country’s best pies were announced at the Bakels New Zealand pie awards in Auckland on Tuesday night.
Patrick Lam of Tauranga was named supreme winner, with his bacon and egg pie judged the best of more than 5000 entries from all corners of the country.
Carterton’s Michael Kloeg, of Clareville Bakery, entered two pies, a coconut, kumara, carrot and coriander pie, plus a lamb, kumara, bacon and cheese effort.
Masterton’s 10 O’clock Cookie also entered.
Mr Kloeg is no stranger to the awards, having picked up the overall gong for supreme winner in 2014.
He didn’t pick up a prize this year, saying the competition was incredibly tough.
“It’s difficult for the public to understand just how tough it is to win an award.
“There’s 500-600 pies per category.”
He said Asian bakers picked up many of the category prizes.
“There were quite a few Asian bakeries coming to the podium, which probably reflects the bakery [industry] in New Zealand at the moment.
“They do a really good job, with pies especially, and it’s good to see them doing well.
“It pushes us to do better.”
While there was plenty of interaction among bakers, there was not a lot of swapping of secrets at the event.
“People are pretty cagey,” he said.
“They aren’t very forthcoming with information about their pies.”
In 2014 he won with his lamb cutlet and kumara mash pie, which the judges described as reminiscent of “a kiwi roast dinner”.
Mr Kloeg said he struggled to meet demand for his pies following the success.
“We couldn’t keep up baking them, we were selling out every day, and we’re still selling them.”
Gold award winners
- Mince and Gravy – Angkor Wat Kiwi Bakery & Cafe, Napier
• Steak (Diced) and Gravy – Counties Bakeries, Pukekohe
• Chicken and Vegetable – Savans Bakery, Warkworth
• Gourmet Fruit – Dairy Flat Bakery, Auckland
• Gourmet Meat – Pak ‘n Save, Petone, Wellington
• Vegetarian – The Bakery Wholesale, Wanaka
• Bacon and Egg – Patrick’s Pie Group Gold Star Bakery, Tauranga
• Mince and Cheese – Panmure Bakehouse, Auckland
• Steak and Cheese – Baker Bobs Bakery & Cafe, Greerton, Tauranga
• Potato Top – Pak n Save, Petone, Wellington
• Commercial Wholesale Mince and Cheese – Couplands Bakeries, Hornby, Christchurch
• Cafe Boutique – Ginger Dynamite, Motueka
