Where to Find the Best Meat Pies in Australia
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The meat pie is synonymous with Australia. Described by NSW Premier Bob Carr as Australia’s ‘national dish’, the meat pie has been held in the hand of hungry Aussies for more than 100 years, with evidence of Sargent’s producing meat pies way back in 1891. Popular pie manufacturers around Australia include Four ‘n Twenty, which traces its history back to the creation of a meat pie in 1947 by L.T.McClure. Balfour’s and Vili’s have been making pies in South Australia for more than a century, with Mrs Mac’s Pies doing the same in Western Australia.
These days, most of these manufacturers are out there making the frozen pies that we buy in bulk at the major supermarkets, douse them in sauce and enjoy them at home, or in front of 44 rampaging footballers surrounded by a plethora of punters at the footy.
Also Read: Where to Find the Best Vanilla Slice in Australia
The fresh pie stakes have been left up to the local bakery, and country bakeries are certainly holding up their end of the deal. Every year bakeries from all around Australia enter their perfect parcels of meat into the Great Aussie Pie Competition, hoping to take home a major title and chuck a big old sticker on their front window. Fresh as we recover from Sharp’s Bakery taking out Australia’s best vanilla slice at the Great Vanilla Slice Triumph, here we are stuffing our faces and minds with the best pies and sausage rolls that Australia’s bakers can put forward.
This year was the 33rd Official Great Aussie Pie Competition and features categories for plain meat pie, gourmet pie, plain sausage roll, and gourmet sausage roll. Further ‘gourmet’ sub-categories are here, and no less important. Here’s where you’ll find your entrants for the ‘Tom Lindsay Pepper steak pie award’, apprentice category, shepherd’s/potato top pie, slow-cooked bbq pie, game pie, poultry pie, red meat pie, vegetarian/vegan pie, pork pie, traditional pork pie, seafood pie, apple pie, brekkie pie, gluten-free pie, and gluten-free sausage roll. A mouthful of categories, just like the pies and sausage rolls themselves.
These are the winners at the 33rd Official Great Aussie Pie Competition, and therefore the best meat pies you can buy in Australia right now.
- Plain Meat Pie
- Winner | Whittlesea Bakehouse, Whittlesea, Victoria
- Runner Up | Four Seasons Patisserie Cafe and Bakery, Wycombe, Western Australia
- Gourmet Pie | Miss Amelia Gourmet, Wodonga, Victoria for its Chinese BBQ pork belly pie
- Plain Sausage Roll | The Little Red Grape Bakery, Sevenhill, South Australia
- Gourmet Sausage Roll | Gippsland Gourmet Pies, Nambrok, Victoria
- Tom Lindsay Pepper Steak Pie Award | Country Cob Bakery, Springvale, Victoria
- Apprentice Category | Banana Bookie Bakery, Belair, South Australia for its smokey BB pulled pork pie
- Shepherd’s Pie | Buddy Bakery Melton, Melton, Victoria for its steak mushroom and potato pie
- Slow Cooked BBQ Pie | Mount Barker Country Baker, Mount Barker, Western Australia for its jalapeno sauce and smokey pork pie
- Game Pie | Gisborne Bakery and Cafe, Gisborne, Victoria for its rabbit mushroom and thyme pie
- Poultry Pie | Parkview Bakery, Maryborough, Victoria for its Moroccan chicken pie
- Read Meat Pie | Rolling Pin Pies and Cakes, Ocean Grove, Victoria for its country lamb rosemary pie
- Vegetarian/Vegan Pie | Jacks Bakery, Mandurah, Western Australia for its veggie paella pie
- Pork Pie | Miss Amelie Gourmet, Wodonga, Victoria for its Chinese BBQ pork belly pie
- Traditional Pork Pie | 3 J’s Butchers, Traralgon East, Victoria for its traditional English pork pie
- Seafood Pie | Rolling Pie Pies and Cakes, Ocean Grove, Victoria for its surf ‘n’ turn pie
- Apple Pie | Miami Bakehouse, Greenfields, Western Australia for its country apple and raspberry pie
- Brekkie Pie | Brighton’s Best Bakehouse, Brighton, Tasmania for its brekkie farmhouse pie
- Gluten-Free Pie | Jojo’s Gluten-Free Goodies, Kernot, Victoria for its Thai chicken curry pie
- Gluten-Free Sausage Roll | Jojo’s Gluten-Free Goodies, Kernot, Victoria for its roast veggie roll