Judges at this year’s Great Australian Pastie will be on the lookout for innovation alongside the usual qualities of texture, colour and flavour.

“They are looking for something innovative,” Baking Industry Association of New South Wales executive director, Tony Smith told Baking Business.

“They are trying to toy with the idea of what they are doing with pies these days.”

The pastie competition will be held as part of the FoodService Australia (FSA) expo in Melbourne on 19-21 June, at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. With entries from all over Australia and last year’s winners competing to retain their title, The Great Australian Pastie competition will be judged on 21 June, the last day of the expo.

There are three titles to be won at this year’s competition including the ‘Great Australian Pastie’ title.

“It’s great recognition for the industry, for the winner,” Mr Smith said.

“The interest is there, which is good,”

According to Mr Smith, last year’s competition winners, South Australia’s Orange Spot Bakery, increased their business through the win.

“(Their) business boomed for weeks. They ran their own promotions. They’ve done pretty good,” Mr Smith said.

“They had Channel Seven (drop by), they really, really promoted it hard, which is really good. It was well worth it for them.”

More information on the National Pastie Competition the competition will be released at the end of April.

FSA is owned by the Foodservice Suppliers Association of Australia and includes the Chef 2011 National Championship and the Great Australian Sandwichship.

2010 saw the inaugural year of The Great Australian Sandwichship at the FSA Exhibition in Darling Harbour, Sydney. Eleven competitors battled it out for the title of Australian

Sandwich Champion, with the winner travelling to London to represent Australia against the British Sandwich Designer of the Year.