Bakels NZ Pie Awards 2024: Best pies in Waikato come from Hamilton, Tīrau, Tuakau, Taupō

According to the recent Bakels NZ Pie Awards, the best pies in Waikato can be found in Tīrau, Tuakau, Hamilton and Taupō.

Waikato pies featured highly at the awards with six local bakeries receiving bronze and silver awards for their creations.

In total, the awards received 5000 entries from 545 bakers across 11 categories this year.

All judging is blind - pies are identified by a number and ingredients are listed, but judges have no way of knowing who made the pie or where it came from.

Pie Awards veteran Shane Kearns, of Tīrau’s The Baker, has taken out a bronze award for his steak & cheese pie.

“Thank you everyone for the great support,” Shane said on social media.

“Really appreciate it. We’re going for gold next year. Stay tuned.”

The Baker announced the win on social media sharing a graphic of the award captioned “So stoked for this! Thanks @supremepieawards such a fabulous night.”

Shane, together with his wife Kathy, won Supreme Pie Awards in 2011 and 2012 as well as in 2017 when they were running Viands Bakery in Kihikihi.

Meanwhile, Avina Tran of Taupō's Paetiki Bakery won a bronze award in the vegetarian category for their pumpkin, broccoli, potato and mushroom pie.

Avina Trend and Lam Ho of Paetiki Bakery in Taupō won the steak and cheese category in the 2023 Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards. This year, they won a bronze award for their vegetarian pumpkin, broccoli, potato and mushroom pie. Photo / Taupo District Council

Paetiki Bakery is also a Pie Awards veteran, having won gold awards in 2012, 2014 and 2023 and silver awards in 2014 and 2015.

In the category Gourmet Meat, Srieng Choeu, of Tuakau’s Fresh Bun Café, took out a bronze award for a scallop with creamy white sauce pie.

Last year, Srieng took out a gold award in the category steak and gravy, while earning a highly commended for the bacon and egg pie.

In 2016, Srieng’s chicken and vegetable pie was highly commended while the steak and gravy pie took out a silver award.

The final bronze award was taken out by Seila Ly, of Hamilton’s Hillcrest Bakery and Cafe, for the bacon and egg pie.

Waikato’s silver awards were taken out by Soem Top of Hamilton’s Dinsdale Bakery for his mince and gravy pie and Songheng Sor, of Hamilton’s High Bakery & Cafe in the category vegetarian for his spinach, mushroom and onion pie.

The first Bakels Pie Awards were held in 1996 to help the baking industry keep on improving and innovating.

NZ Pie Award winners 2024

The below list just features categories that include winners from Waikato. In total, there were 11 categories this year.

Steak & Cheese

Gold Award: Tola Chhunleng, Freemans Bakery and Cafe, Glenfield, Auckland

Silver Award: Tina Yi, Mairangi Bay Bakery, Mairangi Bay, Auckland

Bronze Award: Shane Kearns, The Baker, Tīrau

Highly Commended: Sopheap Long, Euro Patisserie Torbay, Torbay, Auckland

Gourmet Meat

Gold Award: Arlyn Thompson, Rangiora Bakery, Rangiora - Slow-cooked Sumatra-style beef pie

Silver Award: Jason Hay, Richoux Patisserie Ellerslie, Ellerslie, Auckland - Maui’s Mana Pie

Bronze Award: Srieng Choeu, Fresh Bun Café, Tuakau - Scallop with creamy white sauce pie

Highly Commended: Murray Gray, Mataura Mutton Pies, Mataura - Mutton mince and breadcrumbs pie

Bacon & Egg

Gold Award: Cheth Bun, Eurobake Espresso Ltd, Kumeū, Auckland

Silver Award: Theara Keo, Taste Bakery and Roast, Henderson, Auckland

Bronze Award: Seila Ly, Hillcrest Bakery and Cafe, Hamilton

Highly Commended: Tola Chhunleng, Freemans Bakery and Cafe, Glenfield, Auckland

Mince & Gravy

Gold Award: Arlyn Thompson, Rangiora Bakery, Rangiora

Silver Award: Mr Soem Top, Dinsdale Bakery, Hamilton

Bronze Award: Tina Yi, Mairangi Bay Bakery, Mairangi Bay, Auckland

Highly Commended: Jason Hay, Richoux Patisserie Ellerslie, Ellerslie, Auckland

Vegetarian

Gold Award: Patrick Lam, Patrick’s Pie Group Limited, Tauranga - Stir-fried vegetable with potato pie

Silver Award: Songheng Sor, High Bakery & Café, Silverdale, Hamilton - Spinach, mushroom and onion pie

Bronze Award: Avina Tran, Paetiki Bakery, Taupō - Pumpkin, broccoli, potato and mushroom pie

Highly Commended: Kaing Sok, My Bakery Cafe, Glen Eden, Auckland - Creamy spinach and vegetable mix with camembert pie

Danielle Zollickhofer is a multimedia journalist and assistant news director at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.

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