Chief judge Peter Grant ponders a pie among the record number of 3364 creations from 295 bakeries entered in New Zealand's annual supreme pie contest at the Bakels premises in Penrose, Auckland, yesterday.
Pies were tested on presentation, top and bottom pastry, filling and flavour. The winners will be announced next week.
Last year's supreme winner came from the mince and cheese pie category, and was made by Danny Dalton, of Brookfield New World in Tauranga, who received $7500 for his win.
The 10 pie categories include mince and gravy; chicken and vegetables; gourmet meat; bacon and egg; gourmet fruit; steak; vegetable and gravy; apple; vegetarian; mince and cheese and seafood.
The pie industry is worth more than $120 million a year, according to Statistics New Zealand.At an average cost of $2 a pie, New Zealanders eat 60 million pies a year.Judging by 20 top New Zealand bakers started at 7.30am yesterday at the Bakels premises.
Bakels general manager, Graham Sims, said the real value in being crowned supreme pie-maker was the publicity the bakery received.
Mr Sims said some past winners had enjoyed an increase of between 300 and 500 per cent in sales.
The Supreme Pie Award winners will be announced at a dinner at Auckland's Carlton Hotel on August 1.
- NZPA
<i>Picture:</i> Supreme accolade no pie in the sky
Picture / Greg Bowker
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