Hunting out the perfect Kiwi pie
22 Jul 2010
Kiwis love pies - they’re an iconic national food - but spare a thought for judges of this year’s bid to find New Zealand’s top pie baker as they chomp through a record 4336 entries.
The pies have come from 386 bakeries around the country for the 2010 Bakels Supreme Pie Awards currently being judged in Auckland and due to be announced at a gala evening next Tuesday (27.07.2010).
The awards are New Zealand’s largest food competition - in comparison a similar contest in Britain recently, received just 500 entries.
Pie popularity
Organisers say the unprecedented number of contenders for this year’s awards is confirmation of pie popularity in New Zealand - a fact borne out by the latest New Zealand Economic survey which shows Kiwis buy more than NZ$140 million worth of pies every year.
The 4336 pie hopefuls have left judges with their plates well and truly full as they attempt to find winners across 11 different categories - from the humble meat pie to gourmet creations with a mixture of rare ingredients.
Bakels says the number of Asian-owned bakeries taking part in the event has grown dramatically - 10 years ago they accounted for 5% of the entries but this year the figure was 70%.
Taste testing
Well known chefs and culinary experts make up the 22-strong judging panel who will test their taste buds on a line-up of pies including: mince and gravy; chicken and vegetable; gourmet meat; bacon and egg; gourmet fruit; steak; vegetable and gravy; steak and cheese; vegetarian; mince and cheese; seafood and the commercial pie.
Judging is based on baking presentation, the top and bottom pastry, pie filling and flavour. Two samples of each pie must be submitted.
The Bakels annual pie competition has been held since 1997and title winners enjoy significant benefits.
The Supreme prize is worth $7500 in cash, but the real value of the award lies in the "intangible", according to Bakels chairman Duncan Loney.
"The worth in retail dollars to the winner is huge. Some past supreme winners have enjoyed up to 300 to 500% increase in sustained sales," he said.
Champion to judge
An eight-time gold winner, Malaysian-born Bernie Yap, who will be a judge for the first time at this year's competition, agrees glory isn’t the only spin-off for the winners as sales of any gold medal winning pie will "go through the roof".
He says presentation is the most important criteria because the way the pie looks, makes people want to eat it.
The second most important part was the filling, because it obviously had to taste good, said Yap.
Chief judge Dennis Kirkpatrick owns Jimmy’s, a pie factory in Roxburgh, Central Otago and says he’s a fan of the innovation that gourmet pies have brought to bakeries around the country.
The idea behind the gourmet section of the Bakels pie awards was for pie-makers to be innovative, said Kirkpatrick.
Having created such treats as the venison and red currant pie, he says anything goes in the gourmet section of the awards and it is where new trends emerge - like possum or hangi pie.
2009 winner
Pat Lam from Gold Star Patrick’s Pies Bakery in Bethlehem near Tauranga hopes to defend his 2009 national supreme pie award title this year.
He’s entered 20 pies into the 2010 competition - driving them to Auckland to deliver to judges in top condition.
Lam won last year’s award with his creamy bacon, mushroom and cheese pie - the same recipe that won him the supreme title in 2004. In 2003 he scooped the award with his mince and cheese pie.
Taranaki bakeries
One of 10 bakeries to enter the awards from the Taranaki region - in the North Island - has entered in six categories this year. Robert Smith owner of Fitzroy’s Piccolo Morso says this is because his four bakers are proud of their work.
Their chicken pie is the jewel in the crown, and they just "pulled a couple off each tray that looked better" to send to judges.
"You’ve got to have that pie in your baking every day, there’s no point in having a crazy one-off," said Smith.
Bakers will compete for a total of 45 awards including gold, silver, bronze and highly commended.
More information
Unique taste of New Zealand
NZ Cuisine - paddock to plate
Enjoying Wellington on a Plate
Kiwi chefs rise to wild food challenge
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