Despite a move in location from Victoria to NSW, the 2020 Official Great Aussie Pie Competition proved as popular and fiercely competitive as ever as bakers lined up their wares for the title. 

For more than three decades the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition has been pitting baker against baker in the fight for the much-lauded title. The 2020 competition proved no different.

Held from November 11-13 at Southern Cross Supplies in Lidcombe, NSW, this year’s event may have looked a little different thanks to COVID-19 restrictions, but the competition was as fierce as ever.

Taking home the top gong in the Plain Meat Pie was Victoria’s Rolling Pin Pies and Cakes with their chunky mince combo, with NSW’s Baked Provisions coming in second with their mince pie.

Rolling Pin Pies and Cakes general manager Nathan Williams said the team was very excited by their win.

“It is a beautiful tasting pie,” he told the Geelong Advertiser

“We egg wash our pies so it has a really golden shine, which the judges definitely like. And we try to get our pastry as thin as we possibly can.”

Four Seasons Patisserie and Bakery, based in Wycombe, WA, beat out 1500 other pies to take home first prize in the Gourmet Pie category for their Kung Fu Scallop creation. The pie was also named winner in the Seafood Pie category. It was the bakery’s second win in four years, with owner-baker Andy Le’s plain chunky meat pie winning gold in 2015.

The award for best Plain Sausage Roll went to WA’s Toodyay Bakery, while Queensland’s Mayfield Patisserie and Chocolates took home the prize for best Gourmet Sausage Roll for their pork and apple creation.

Judge Peter Snepvangers said despite the competition itself being different due to its location, the quality of the entries was incredibly high.

“There were a lot of entries this year and the general quality as a whole was better than previous years. I put that down to people not being as busy as usual due to COVID and so they could put more effort into it,” he says.

“The winning pies were both excellent pies. Rolling Pin’s pie was really nice. It was very full and the pastries were good. The bottom pastry was thin but held the filling really well so you couldn’t fault it.

“The Four Seasons Pie from WA was different again. Tasmania is usually the place I’d associate with a seafood pie, but this one was just exceptional and the satay note to it was really good.”

The Official Great Aussie Pie Competion 2020 results

Plain Meat Pie

• 1st – Rolling Pin Pies & Cakes – Ocean Grove VIC (Chunky Mince Combo)
• 2nd – Baked Provisions, Prestons NSW (Mince)

Overall Gourmet Pie

• 1st – Four Seasons Patisserie & Bakery, Wycombe WA (Kung Fu Scallop)
• Plain Sausage Roll 1st – Toodyay Bakery, Toodyay WA

Gourmet Sausage Roll

• 1st – Mayfield Patisserie and Chocolates, Montville QLD (Pork & Apple)

Poultry Pie

• 1st – Para Hills Hot Bread Bakery – Para Hills SA (Chicken Mushroom)

Red Meat Pie

• 1st – L’Arte Central, Cranbourne VIC (Sunday Roast Lamb)

Brekkie Pie

• 1st – Wollumbin St bakery, Murwillumbah NSW (Big Breakfast)

Vegetarian/Vegan Pie

• 1st – J & M Catering, Wendouree VIC (Veg & Mango Curry)

Seafood Pie

• 1st – Four Seasons Patisserie & Bakery, Wycombe WA (Kung Fu Scallop)

Game Pie

• 1st – Bakehouse Delights, Nowra East NSW (Venison Red Wine)

Gluten Free Pie

• 1st – Beefy’s Pies, Kunda Park QLD

Gluten Free Sausage Roll

• 1st – JoJo’s Gluten Free Goodies, Kernot VIC (Spinach & Ricotta)

Apple Pie

• 1st – Four Seasons Patisserie, Wycombe WA (Apple)

Slow Cooked BBQ Pie

• 1st – Pinjarra Bakery, Pinjarra WA (BBQ Beef w Mac & Cheese)

Apprentice Pie (Plain Meat Pie)

• 1st – Country Cobb Bakery, Kynenton VIC (Kim)

Tom Lindsay Pepper Steak Award

• 1st – Parker Pies, Rutherglen VIC

Christmas Fruit Mince Pie

• 1st – Miami Bakehouse, Greenfields WA