We Aussies sure do love a good pie, so it checks out we've got an annual competition dedicated to searching for the best of 'em. Every year, the Baking Association of Australia hosts the Australia's Best Pie and Pastie Competition to crown local winners in a number of pastry-related categories, including Best Chicken Pie, Best Gourmet Pastie, Best Gourmet Pie and more. But there's one award that participating bakeries want to get their flour-dusted hands on the most: the highly coveted accolade of Australia's Best Pie.
In 2024, the big win has gone to the Bellarine Peninsula's very own Rolling Pin Bakery for its flavourful prawn laksa pie. First of all, a big congrats to the Rolling Pin crew is in order! Secondly, we really want to drive out and go try that pie right now. It's the third time the Bellarine Peninsula business has taken out the coveted title, with its surf 'n' turf pie and its creamy mushroom and truffle pie winning the 2021 and 2022 competitions, respectively.
“Holy S$At! We have just been judged Australia’s Best Pie for the third time in four years,” Rolling Pin Pies wrote on social media.
Interestingly, it's the second year in a row a seafood pie has been ranked the best in the nation. Could this be a sign Aussies' historic love for meat pies is evolving? Last year's winner of the Best Pie award, Kyneton's beloved Country Cob Bakery, took home the prize for its incredible fish amok pie. And while it may have missed out on the top gong this year around, these baking wizards still took home 13 gold medals and four silver medals.
Country Cob also won Australia's Best Chicken Pie for its Cambodian-inspired coconut pineapple chicken pie, Australia's Best Gourmet Pie for its BBQ beef mac and cheese pie and more awards for two of its tasty pasties.
The three-day competition was fierce in 2024, with 362 bakeries entering more than 2400 pies and pasties to be taste-tested by the expert panel of judges.
More of a pastie fan than a pie lover? Then you'll want to make you way to Shop 29 in Ballarat, winner of Australia's best pastie this year.
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