After tasting over 1,500 entries from all across the land, The Great Aussie Pie Competition’s “dedicated connoisseurs” have once again determined where you’ll find the country’s best.
For the esteemed honour of Australia’s supreme plain meat pie, Buddy Bakery located in Melton, Victoria has taken home the top prize; outperforming the likes of Four Seasons Patisserie & Bakery (High Wycombe, WA), Ming’s Bakery (Woodvale, WA), Pie Haus (Beaumaris, VIC), and McLaren Vale Bakery Café (McLaren Vale, SA).
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Buddy Bakery also secured podium finishes in the following categories:
- Best Game Pie, 3rd Place (Kangaroo Mushroom)
- Best Seafood Pie, 3rd Place (Surf ‘n’ Turf)
- Best Brekkie Pie, 3rd Place (Salmon Breakfast)
In previous years, this very throne has been occupied by Pinjarra Bakery and Whittlesea Bakehouse. So what makes for a winning recipe?
“I’m a firm believer if you use good ingredients, good flour, good margarine, you keep it simple and love what you do, then that’s what counts,” Whittlesea Bakehouse pie maker Adrian Caporetto told Star Weekly.
The competition judge Mike French, on the other hand, chalks it up to three slightly more specific elements: “A crispy pastry top with flake, a structurally sound pie bottom, and the ultimate pie filling.”
French added the ideal pie should be “baked through with a nice golden colour” with a consistent three-millimetre thick side and bottom.
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“Regardless of the meat you choose, the ultimate pie filling contains meat, thickener, colour, and seasoning, and we recommend adding some onion for flavour,” explained French.
“Be sure to pay special attention to the meat-to-pastry ratio to achieve the perfect balance and not jeopardise your structure.”
“The pie should be meaty and tasty with a nice rich brown gravy, not grey or black. The filling should not fall into your lap when hot, or conversely, stick to the roof of your mouth.”
Here are the notable Great Aussie Pie Competition winners of 2024.
The Best Pies in Australia (2024)
Major Titles
- Plain Meat Pie: Buddy Bakery (Melton, VIC)
- Gourmet Pie: Jack’s Bakery (Halls Head, WA)
- Plain Sausage Roll: Orange Spot Bakery (Glenelg, SA)
- Gourmet Sausage Roll: Orange Pie Company (Orange, NSW)
- Pastie: Orange Spot Bakery (Glenelg, SA)
Category Awards
- Red Meat Pie: Jack’s Bakery (Halls Head, WA)
- Poultry Pie: Country Cob Bakery (Springvale, VIC)
- Vegetarian/Vegan Pie: Forster Bakehouse (Forster, NSW)
- Pork Pie: Four Seasons Patisserie & Bakery (High Wycombe, WA)
- Shepherd’s/Potato Top Pie: Jack’s Bakery (Halls Head, WA)
- Slow Cooked BBQ Pie: Forster Bakehouse (Forster, NSW)
- Game Pie: Paradise Bakehouse (Bundaberg, QLD)
- Seafood Pie: The Little Red Grape (Sevenhill, SA)
- Apple Pie: Four Seasons Patisserie & Bakery (High Wycombe, WA)
- Brekkie Pie: Jack’s Bakery (Halls Head, WA)
- Gluten Free Pie: Heatherbrae Pies Ourimbah (Ourimbah, NSW)
- Tom Lindsay Pepper Steak Pie Award: Country Cob Bakery (Springvale, VIC)
Check out the full run of Great Aussie Pie Competition results below.
