Total pie domination

Pies domination the New South Wales Southern Highlands in June, drawing tourists from far and wide with Australia’s favourite winter warming dish.

Pie Time festivities took over the New South Wales Southern Highlands, which dished up events such as Pie and Pinot, the Pie Trail, pie-eating, pie-throwing and, of course, pie-making competitions.

The pie-making competitions were held over 23 and 24 June, with both major awards going to Stones Patisserie for their Heads and Tails Pie. Mark Stone, chef patissier at Stones Patisserie, entered the pie into the artisan category, which he won, along with the NSW/ACT Best Pie and the Southern Highlands Best Pie.

The Heads and Tails Pie contained slow-cooked beef cheek and oxtail in veal stock with slow-roasted carrots and eight-hour dehydrated cherry tomatoes.

Mark says, “It was a very long cooking process [the veal stock itself took a day to make] with lots of flavour and intensity put into it but it paid dividends when the judges had it.”

Because Mark had entered the artisan category, which is designed for experimental pies, the rules didn’t stipulate that Mark had to serve the pie in his shops, but Mark offered it for the month of June anyway.

“It was very popular and we had people coming all the way from Sydney, Canberra and Wollongong to try it,” says Mark.

Overall, the Pie Festival attracted 8000 people with its live entertainment, competitions and wine tastings, with bakeries such as Stones Patisserie, Gumnut Patisserie, Southern Rise Bakery and Heatherbraes Pies getting involved in the fun.

“Not only my sales increased,” said Mark, “the whole of the highlands was abuzz with pie time festivities.”

Congratulations to the winners:

NSW/ACT Best Pie Competition Winner: Stones Patisserie

Southern Highlands Best Pie: Stones Patisserie

Red Meat Category: Southern Rise Bakery

White Meat Category: Southern Rise Bakery

Vegetarian Category: Fitzroy Falls
General Store

Seafood: Heatherbraes Bakery

Sweet: Gumnut Patisserie

Artisan: Stones Patisserie

Apprentice (sweet): Josh Nickl from Gumnut Patisserie

Apprentice (savoury): Jason Bromley from Gumnut Patisserie

Community/Home Baker (sweet):
Meals on Wheels

Community/Home Baker (savoury):
Mario Tonsic.