Pie maker joins the upper crust

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

When Cambodian Patrick Lam came to New Zealand eight years ago he got a taste for baking.

Now the 34-year-old owner of Rotorua's Gold Star Bakery has just won the Bakels Supreme Pie Award for the second year in a row.

Last year, Mr Lam - who works 12 hours a day, six days a week - declined an invitation to the awards dinner. He said he was too busy.

Organisers persuaded him to attend by saying he had won an award. Only when he arrived did he discover it was the coveted top honour, for his mince and cheese pie.

This year, Mr Lam knew he was in the running, but did not imagine pulling off what no one had done before. But when the winners were announced last night, his creamy mushroom, bacon and cheese pie triumphed. He also won a silver in the vegetarian section.

The 2004 pie contest was the biggest yet: 190 bakeries and 2039 entries in eight categories. A record 60 Asian bakeries took part, taking 15 of the 33 awards.

Mr Lam left Cambodia as a child in 1975 and, with his family, was a refugee in Vietnam. In 1989 he moved to Australia, and later to New Zealand to help his brother-in-law at his Auckland takeaway shop.

With his wife and three children, Mr Lam moved to Rotorua five years ago, and they now run their busy Old Taupo Rd bakery and lunchbar. Mince and cheese remains the favourite by far, but sweet lamb curry, chicken curry, and bacon and mushroom are catching on. He is thinking of satay beef or perhaps pepper steak for next year's contest.



And if Patrick Lam was busy before, he can expect life to be hectic now. After last year's win, sales soared "overnight" from about 300 to 1200 pies a day, eventually levelling off at an average of 500.

A decade of making award-winning pies has taken its toll on Auckland baker Bernie Yap. He is on a diet.

At last night's awards Mr Yap, (Bernie's Bakery and Cafe) took top prize for his bacon and egg pie, the fifth year in a row he has taken home a gold.

The Browns Bay baker's steak, vegetable and gravy pie won silver, while he was highly commended on his vegetable pie.

Mr Yap says the secret to a good pie is the recipe, which he refuses to share, but in the case of meat pies it is the onion.

He has, however, helped his brother Albert Yap (Coffee Bean Cafe and Bakehouse) who won silver in the bacon and egg section.

"I taught him everything I know, I think he might have missed out a bit."

Overall Auckland tied with champion pie-making region Hawkes Bay this year with eight awards a piece, but the Hawkes Bay bakers who entered rolled home to take three gold medals to Auckland's two.