It did not have the ferocity of a Ranfurly Shield clash, but Hawkes Bay turned up the heat last night to beat Canterbury 12-6 in the national pie awards.
The Bay has dominated the scene for the past six years, producing all but two of the supreme winners.
There was no sign
of the trend changing this year: the Oslers bakery in Wairoa took top honours and the region's pie meisters rolled home with a dozen awards.
The Bakels Supreme Pie Awards, announced at the Carlton Hotel, Auckland, covered eight categories. There were four awards in each category and the overall winner.
While the judges were initially drawn to exotic offerings such as the emu, caramelised onion and kiwifruit pie offered for the gourmet section, Osler's traditional steak mince and cheese edged out everyone for top spot.
Canterbury ran Hawkes Bay close for regional honours, and Asian bakers (53 this year, three last year) won 11 awards.
There was even a family pie fight between two brothers.
Bernie Yap (Bernie's Bakery and Cafe, Browns Bay) won gold in the gourmet section but was wary of his younger brother: "I've taught Albert too well. He might beat me."
Albert Yap (Coffee Bean Cafe and Bakehouse, Manukau) repaid his teacher by winning gold after turning out the best bacon and egg pie.
There were entries from 189 bakeries this year, compared with 120 last year.Alan Perrott
