The 29th Official Great Aussie Pie Competition and 5th Official Great Aussie Sausage Roll Competition ran over four days at Fine Food in Melbourne in September with WA competitors dominating the leaders’ board.

1,456 pies and sausage rolls (about a quarter of the entries were sausage rolls) were entered into the competition, which was judged by a panel of industry experts. Head Judge Mike French says the competition is a never-ending voyage of discovery.

“What started out as a conversation between two guys at the pub about who made the best pie has turned into this!” he exclaims.

Mike says a standout from the competition was a footy pie with a Richmond Tiger made completely from pastry donning the top, though he was unhappy with the choice of team.

“Should have been the Eagles,” he laughs.

When asked whether he’d tasted enough pies and ice-tea (judges drink ice-tea between tastings to clean the palate) to last him another year, Mike laughs and shakes his head.

“I still have a pie every week. I love them.”

Mike says bakers take their feedback from the competition and start working on their pies for the following year right away.

That’s something winner Andy Le intends to do. He headed straight from the competition back to his Western Australian bakery, Four Season’s Patisserie, to start work on next year’s entry. The runner-up for Best Plain Meat Pie was tied and went to two other WA bakeries: Mount Barker Country Bakery and Pinjarra Bakery and Patisserie. Third place also went to WA with Golden Bakery from Osborne Park.

Andy says Western Australia doesn’t have a huge restaurant culture, so people are interested in grab-and-go items from their bakeries—something that perhaps explains the high quality of pies coming from the state.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS:

Plain Meat Pie

Four Seasons Patisserie, Kelmscott, WA (Mince/Chunky Combo Pie)

Mount Barker Country Bakery, Mount Barker, WA (Mince/Chunky Combo Pie) & Pinjarra Bakery & Patisserie, Pinjarra, WA (Chunky Pie) – TIED for 2nd Place

Golden Bakery, Osborne Park, WA (Mince Pie)

Gourmet Pie

Edison Bakehouse, Monbulk, VIC (Steak & Pepper – Red Meat)

Mowatts, Sunbury, VIC (Chicken Balti Pie – Poultry)

Rolling Pin Pies & Cakes, Ocean Grove, VIC (Croc Korma)

Plain Sausage roll

Oven Crisp Bakery, Riverton, WA

Berwick Village Bakery & Café, Berwick, VIC

Hope Bakery, Golden Point, Ballarat, VIC

Gourmet Sausage roll

Mayfield Patisseries and Chocolates, Montville, QLD (Lamb Spinach & Feta)

Denmark Bakery, Denmark, WA (Spinetta Roll)

Bread & Pickles, Meeniyan, VIC (Spinach & Ricotta)

Poultry

Mowatts, Sunbury, VIC (Chicken Balti Pie)

Rolling Pin Pies & Cakes, Ocean Grove, VIC (Chicken Carbonara)

Terang Country Bakery, Terang, VIC (Chicken & Veg)

Red Meat

Edison Bakehouse, Monbulk, VIC (Steak & Pepper)

Wangan Bakery, Wangan, QLD (Pizza)

The Iced Bakery & Co, Lilydale, VIC (Malaysian Curry)

Brekkie Pie

Terang Country Bakery, Terang, VIC (Eggs Benny)

Bread & Pickles, Meeniyan, VIC (Breakfast Pie)

Terang Country Bakery, Terang, VIC (Farmers)

Vegetarian

Mooroopna Bakery Pie Shop, Mooroopna, VIC (Pumpkin and Veg Pie)

Country Cobb Bakery, Kyneton, VIC (Cheese Broccoli & Cauliflower)

Woori Wallock Bakery, Woori Yallock, VIC (Vegetarian)

Seafood

1 Chunky Pies, Aitkenviale, QLD (Salmon & Creamy Blue Cheese)

2 Pinjarra Bakery & Patisserie, Pinjarra, WA (Garlic Prawn with Saffron Rice)

3 Denmark Bakery, Denmark, WA (Seafood Basket)

Game

1 Rolling Pin Pies & Cakes, Ocean Grove, VIC (Croc Korma)

2 Mount Barker Country Bakery, Mount Barker, WA (Kangaroo & Chorizo)

3 Denmark Bakery, Denmark, WA (Kangaroo Pie) Gluten Free

1 JoJo’s Gluten Free Goodies, Kernot, VIC (Wagu Beef Caramelised Onion)

2 Heavens Bakehouse, East Keilor, VIC (Steak Cheese & Bacon Pie)

3 Heavens Bakehouse, East Keilor, VIC (Steak & Onion)

Apple Pie

1 The Dragon Bakery, Australind, WA (Traditional Apple)

2 Toodyay Bakery, Toodydy, WA (Apple & Frangipani Pie)

3 Wollumbin St Bakery, Murwillumbah, NSW (Apple)

Footy Pie

Pinjarra Bakery & Patisserie – Richmond Tigers Inspired

Boutique Pie

Pinjarra Bakery & Patisserie – Seafood Pie

Massel Award

Country Cobb Bakery, Kynenton, VIC – Chili Con Carne

Tom Lindsay Pepper Steak Award

Edison Bakehouse, Monbulk, VIC – Steak & Pepper.