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A vegetable pie made by a former butcher has won New Zealand's supreme pie award.
Neville Jackson, the former butcher-turned baker, was last night crowned the king of pie-makers when he beat 3000 other entries and picked up the Bakels' New Zealand Supreme Pie Award and $7500 in prize money.
It's the first time in the competition's 11-year history that the supreme award has gone to a vegetarian pie.
Last year's supreme award went to a pie in the gourmet fruit category.
Mr Jackson, who co-owns Jackson's Bakery and Cafe in Havelock North, wowed the judges with his pie's delectable mixture of carrots, silver beet, broccoli, red capsicum and cauliflower in a creamy, white sauce.
The baker, who loves a good mince pie, said yesterday his win was a great achievement. He became a baker 20 years ago after working as a butcher.
He said he wasn't a vegetarian - but might have to become one now.
Chief judge Peter Grant said vegetarian, gourmet meat and gourmet fruit pies were attracting high levels of creativity each year.
"This year was tops. Simply divine fillings and exquisitely presented," he said.
Bill Lenh Liem, of Auckland's Greenland Bakery and Cafe, won a staggering four golds, two silvers and a bronze for his entries.
Mr Liem, who comes from Cambodia and has been in New Zealand for 11 years, said yesterday his win was very exciting. But he was remaining tight-lipped about his pie-winning formula. "It's a secret," he said.
A record number of awards went to Asian bakeries with 21 placings from the 45 awards. Auckland took over from Hawkes Bay as the dominant region in the awards with 15 awards.
The pie market is worth more than $20 million a year, with Kiwis eating around 60 million pies annually.
But the humble pie has an unhealthy image problem.
New Zealand Nutrition Foundation CEO Sue Pollard said that while pies were high in fat, they did have some nutritional value such as the iron in the meat.
It was a case of eating them in moderation, she said.
"We think they are an occasional food, a treat food.
"Their quality varies a lot. They are often very high in fat and are energy dense so if you are wanting to reduce your fat intake then eating lots of pies is not the way to do it.
"But they have a place in the diet, particularly for people who are very active and working very hard and using up lots of energy."
