The Official Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition was established by John Ross and Craig Perry in 1989. Their efforts and passion for pie excellence have helped to raise quality standards of pies across Australia; enhancing a sense of pride among bakers who specialise in pie making. The judging panel consists of TAFE trainers, chefs, bakers and bakery reps who are all experts in their field. They provide valuable feedback on each entry for aspiring winners. This Competition is the industry’s benchmark for pie excellence, bar none.

In 2011 the rights to run the Official Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition were bought by the Australian Pie Council Pty Ltd, a consortium of industry leading companies in the baking industry. Although Competition Director John Ross has stepped back from full time involvement, he remains the face of the Competition and will continue to consult the Council on future events. The existing Competition judges and support crew will also remain.

To recognize the growing gourmet pie category and the diversity of bakers in Australia, the Competition has been expanded to include vegetarian and non-red meat ingredients. Since 2012 the Competition has been known as the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition.