Who ate all the pies? Fat Bastard's 'fly for a pie' catches 3500 entries

Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt tucks into a pie under the watchful gaze of Fat Bastard Pies owner James Owen. Photo / Supplied

Coke and a pie. It's the staple diet for many busy Kiwis.

So it's no surprise that more than Christchurch-based 3500 pie-lovers jumped at the chance to "fly for a pie" to dig into Invercargill's Fat Bastard pie.

The almost-famous Invercargill pie shop launched its "Fly for a Pie" competition on January 22. The winner, Canterbury University student Chris Lewis, will fly down on February 9 to tuck into one of Southland's finest pastry meals, then he'll fly straight back home.

"They're getting a pie – what else would they need?," Fat Bastard Pies' Simon Owen said.

The "Fly for a Pie" idea came about after Fat Bastard Pies noticed they had a lot of fans based in Christchurch, so decided to offer one the chance to see the store for themselves.

The company has been stoked at the number of out-of-towners who have ordered their pies.

"We take a lot of pride in our hand-crafted pies and it's great to see so many people outside of Invercargill have tried one, or just heard of us."

Lewis said he had never been to Invercargill before and was intrigued by the idea of flying south for a pie.

"I'll probably go for a pepper steak or something with chicken and mushroom," he said.

The competition has stirred up thousands of delicious pie and Southland-related memories.

Donna Kobylarz said: "I have a memory of eating a curry pie at a truck show in Invercargill some 38 years ago. I've never forgotten that pie."

Others jumped at the chance for a whirlwind visit to family and friends, to try a pie for the first time, or to get a taste of what the Fat Bastard Pie fuss is about.

The competition has reached more than 70,000 people, which was great exposure for Invercargill and Southland, Owen said.

They were often asked why they did not sell their pies outside Invercargill or branch out into other centres, but Owen said they wanted to make Fat Bastard Pies into an Invercargill institution.

"Coming into the shop for a Fat Bastard pie is an experience – it's becoming a must-do thing in Invers. People are always outside taking photos."