KEY POINTS:
The "world famous in New Zealand" drink named after a small town on the Hauraki Plains, will get another lick at fame tomorrow.
Lemon and Paeroa has been included in a pub pie made in the small town of Paeroa and entered with 3000 other pies in the New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards.
The 3000 pies in 11 categories will be judged in Auckland in an all-day session.
Awards spokeswoman Cath Saunders said the contest was the biggest baking event in New Zealand and was getting bigger.
She said pies were still part of school lunches and some school pies had been given the Heart Foundation tick of approval.
This year's competition also includes a new category for large commercial bakers.
Saunders said the Asian influence in the awards was also growing. Ten years ago entries from Asian bakers made up 5 per cent per cent of entries. This year 50 per cent of the pies came from Asian bakeries.
The judges also came from far more diverse backgrounds than in the past and included a Frenchman, a Dane, a Swiss, a Dutchman and an African.
The pie industry was worth $120 million a year in 2005 compared with the $89 million hamburger industry, Ms Saunders said.
The 11 categories to be judged this year are mince and gravy; chicken and vegetables; gourmet meat; bacon and egg; gourmet fruit; steak, vegetables and gravy; steak and cheese; vegetarian; mince and cheese; seafood; and commercial pies.
The supreme pie winner would win $7500 in cash but industry sources said the value of the win in retail dollars was "huge" with some winning bakeries reporting a 500 per cent increase in business.
The winners will be announced at a presentation dinner in Auckland next Tuesday.
- NZPA
