Award-winning pies pass connoisseurs' taste test

Bunnarith Sao's fruit pie came first. Picture / Dean Purcell

An Auckland baker's award-winning pastry creations are drawing a loyal following from pie connoisseurs.

A day after winning two national categories at the New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards, Bernie's Bakery and Cafe baker Vasokha Leng yesterday had numerous calls from customers demanding his pies.

"... We usually make 20 to 30, but today we made up to 100 of them," he said.

The baker entered six pies in the competition and won the mince and cheese and mince and gravy categories.

He said there was no secret ingredient in his award-winning creations.

"I try to follow the recipe and do it carefully. The main thing is taste. There is lots of pie in the competition so I am very focused on the taste."

Carterton baker Michael Kloeg's lamb and kumara pie won the supreme pie of the year at Tuesday's award dinner in Auckland.

The pie was picked from 4832 entries.

It is estimated that Kiwis eat a staggering 75 million pies a year - for Mr Leng this means his biggest critics are his regular customers.

Browns Bay local John van Lierop comes to Bernie's Bakery and Cafe at 6.30 every morning to order a coffee and mince and cheese pie.

"I've had a few pies in my time," hesaid. "I just like it and I was right, it won a gold."

For Alex Hartley it's the pie's $4.20 price tag that keeps him coming back.

"It's good value for money. It's so tasty, full, fresh and with lots of meat."

Meanwhile, baker Bunnarith Sao's roadside bakery yesterday attracted the usual truckies as well as new customers eager to taste his winning gourmet fruit pie.

The Dairy Flat Bakery pie won a bronze for the same flavour last year.

Mr Sao said the pie's layers of fruit made it stand out.

"Blueberry on the bottom, then spiced apple in the middle and apricot on the top. Then let the customer mix it together themselves in their mouth."

Tomorrow bakeries around the country will be donating 20c to charity from every pie sold as part of "Pie Day Friday".

The taste test

Winner of the Mince and Cheese category
Baker: Vasokha Leng
Bernie's Bakery and Cafe, Browns Bay, Auckland
The last pie I ate was packaged in plastic with the meat spewing out the sides of the cardboard-like pastry. Now I'm eating crisp, thick pastry which houses a generous portion of tasty meat. It's a relief to find a pie that contains real meat and is not overpowered by cheese or gravy.

Winner of the Gourmet Fruit category
Baker: Bunnarith Sao
Dairy Flat Bakery, Albany, Auckland
A truckie stop is the last place I would have expected to find a pie with beautiful pastry topping and floral detailing which could impress any grandmother. The pie had a balanced proportion of sugary fruits, a dash of spice and buttery pastry that dissolved in the mouth. A huge satisfying portion worth its $5 price tag.