Chef Sid Sahrawat, Biker Steve Crow and chief judge Tim Aspinall share their thoughts on this years pies.
From steak and gravy to mince and cheese and fancier fare (scallops!), New Zealand’s best pies have been announced. Winning bakeries from around the country were celebrated in Auckland and, for the first time, a South Island bakery has nabbed the Supreme prize at the 2024 Bakels NZ Pie Awards.
The Olympics isn’t the only competition to care about this week; the biggest prize in New Zealand baking has been announced in Auckland at the Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards, with accolades awarded at celebrations at the Grand Millennium hotel on Thursday, July 30.
This year’s field counted 5000 entries and 545 bakers, but there can only be one Supreme winner.
Of the 110 finalist pies (over half from Auckland) one from Rangiora has made history.
It’s the first time a South Island bakery has secured the top honour in the 29-year history of the awards. Baker Arlyn Thompson from Artisan by Rangiora Bakery has won the Supreme Award for her entry in the Gourmet Meat category.
The winning pie? A slow-cooked “Sumatra style” beef pie that celebrity judge Sid Sahrawat described as “beautiful” to eat.
Arlyn Thompson and Rangiora Bakery's entry in the Bakels NZ Pie Awards 2024, a slow-cooked Sumatra-style beef pie.
“The flavours are so well balanced and the pastry and tender meat are a perfect comfort combination,” Sahrawat said in a media release. “On a cold winter’s night, that’s the pie you want to eat.”
The win has made Thompson – who also took home the Gold Award in the Mince & Gravy category – the second woman to win the Supreme prize. Sopheap Long, of Euro Patisserie Torbay, was the first woman to win the Supreme award in 2021, and she’s a finalist in seven categories this year. Of the 110 finalist pies this year, 26 were baked by women.
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.
Including Thompson, eight South Island bakers were among the finalists this year. They’re outnumbered by businesses located in the North Island. Of the finalists across all categories, 62 pies were from 23 Auckland bakeries.
Famously, the Supreme Award has long been dominated by the respected Patrick Lam, who has won eight times, including in 2023, with his Gourmet Meat entry, a roast duck pie. Lam did well in the 2024 competition, and this year the Tauranga baker won the Gold Awards in the Steak & Gravy and Vegetarian categories, took home Bronze in Potato Top, and was a finalist in four other categories.
Judging day for the Bakels NZ Pie Awards. Photo / Michael Craig
Rules are strict, as we explained last week, with weight limits and ingredient parameters. And, with the exception of the Café Boutique category, all pies have to be made from pastry created from scratch.
There were 11 categories this year – Mince & Cheese and Steak & Cheese are the largest, with Gourmet Meat the third most popular with bakers – and each category has 10 ranked finalists, and dedicated awards (gold, silver, bronze and highly commended).
Mince & Cheese
Gold Award: Theara Keo, Taste Bakery and Roast, Henderson, Auckland
Silver Award: Kaing Sok, My Bakery Cafe, Glen Eden, Auckland
Bronze Award: Sopheap Long, Euro Patisserie Torbay, Torbay, Auckland
Highly Commended: Tom Grooten, Dad’s Pies, Silverdale, Auckland
Emma Gleason is the New Zealand Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment deputy editor. Based in Auckland, she covers culture, entertainment and more. (And she loves a pie).
