Tucked into the Mittagong Garden Centre in Balaclava in the Southern Highlands of NSW is a pie and pastry shop owner by Nerida Rudolph, who is a seventh-generation baker. Samuel Gee Pies and Pastries, which was named after Nerida’s beloved Labrador, is a crowd favourite and has enjoyed various successes since opening.

The bakery had previously gained recognition for its yabby and white wine pies, which it ran as limited-edition offerings for Australia’s Pie Time festival last year. The bakery enjoyed a successful run of these pies, which sold out every day of the festival and had people travelling from miles around.

Samuel Gee is also a regular on the podiums at the Great Aussie Pie Competition and Australia’s Best Pie and Pastie Competition.

And now, Samuel Gee has received local recognition for its baking excellence, winning the Southern Highlands Local Business Awards’ Outstanding Bakery/Cake Business category award. The Awards took place at the Mittagong RSL on 7 December, 2022, recognising outstanding businesses across various industries in the region.

Nerida took to social media to commemorate the event.

“Words cannot express how proud of my staff I am. A massive thank you to my beautiful husband for being so supportive and now cancer free,” she wrote.

Nerida continued, thanking all of the dedicated members of staff employed by the bakery and the regular contractors who do work around the premises.

She concluded, “The biggest thanks to all of our supporting customers and your continued support, without you we wouldn’t be here. Bigger and better things to come in 2023, and we look forward to a productive new year.”