The supreme award winning venison, mushroom, bacon and cheese pie from Taupo's Fast & Fresh Bakery. Photo/Supplied
A venison, mushroom, bacon and cheese pie from Taupo proved the perfect combination of flavours for judges voting it the 2017 NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Award winner in Auckland tonight.
Baked by Lee Ing of Taupo's Fast & Fresh Bakery, the supreme pie came out on top of 5696 entries during judging last week.
Rotorua's Better Quality Pies also received a Highly Commended for their Rhubarb, Apple & Lime pie in the Gourmet Fruit category.
NZ Bakels managing director Brent Kersel said the supreme winning pie first caught their attention when it won gold in the Gourmet Meat category before going onto the final judging stage.
"It looked great out of the oven, pastry rich and golden with the filling venison, mushroom, bacon and cheese combining well together. The venison had great flavour and texture," he said.
This year's celebrity chef judge, Sean Connolly said cooking venison in a pie to where the end result was so moist and succulent demonstrated a high level of culinary skills.
"The flavours worked together to just melt in the mouth with a perfect pastry casing."
Mr Ing bought Fast & Fresh Bakery 14 months ago after working in the bakery for two years learning all he now knows about making pies from the previous owner.
Born in Cambodia, he came to New Zealand 12 years ago to start a new life and discovered he had a natural flair for baking when he was working in Tun Bakery in Taranaki.
Asked about his favourite part of baking he said he liked everything and I liked learning different skills.
"I can't believe I won an award, I didn't expect that," he said.
Mr Kersel said entries this year, the 21st year of the competition, were up by 10 percent with the two largest categories Mince & Cheese and Steak & Cheese, going head-to-head with 417 pies in each category, leaving judges the enormous task of finding bronze, silver and gold award winners amongst them.
In the Gourmet Meat category flavours and pastry styles kept judging fresh and interesting with breakfast pies filled with the likes of spaghetti, bacon, onion and even potato nuggets through to a goat vindaloo pie, a seafood pie with octopus, and a lamb cheeks with vegetables, herbs and anchovies pie.
The Vegetarian category was filled with vibrantly filled pies and new ingredients including yams, swede, and sugar snap peas. Wholemeal and spelt pastries were emerging in this category, while gluten free pastry was growing in popularity in the Café Boutique category.
"A number of entries this year have used their imagination and flare to make the finished product look different and exciting," said Mr Kersel.
"Everyone started talking about the 'kiwi' pie when its box was opened. The pie top featured a kiwi with koru patterns made out of poppy seeds. The pastry was even moulded into fern leaves!
"In the Gourmet Fruit category the presentation of the pies was stunning. One pie, a pineapple, lime and coconut creation actually looked like a slice of pineapple."
NZ Bakels originally launched the Supreme Pie Awards in 1996 to improve the quality of pies and pastry.
"Year-on-year the Awards have successfully achieved that and continue to lift the bar to a level we never imaged. New Zealand consumers now know what a quality pie looks and tastes like so if a bakery is to succeed their standard needs to be high.
"We congratulate Fast & Fresh Bakery of Taupo and we invite pie lovers to go and taste the best pie in New Zealand at their bakery," Mr Kersel said.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
MINCE & GRAVY:
Gold Award- Lee Ung, Crown Bakery & Coffee, Pukekohe
Silver Award- Michael Kuoy, Counties Bakery, Pukekohe
Bronze Award - Vouch Leang Chea, Richoux Patisserie, Auckland
Highly Commended- Roger Cathro, Pak n Save, Petone
STEAK (DICED) & GRAVY:
Gold Award- Shane Kearns,Viands Bakery, Kihikihi
Silver Award- Bunnarith Sao, Dairy Flat Bakery Ltd, Albany
Bronze Award- Vuthy Chang, Papamoa Bakery, Papamoa
Highly Commended- Patrick Lam, Gold Star Pat's Pies, Tauranga
CHICKEN & VEGETABLE:
Gold Award- Patrick Lam, Gold Star Pat's Piea, Tauranga
Silver Award- Michael GrayNada Bakery, Wellington
Bronze Award - Shane Kearns, Viands Bakery, Kihikihi
Highly Commended- Khemara Yin, The Bakehouse Café, Thames
GOURMET FRUIT:
Gold Award- Blueberry, Apricot & Apple ,Bunnarith Sao, Dairy Flat Bakery Ltd, Albany
Silver Award- Walnut, Zingy Lemon, Black Doris Plum, Apple & Lemon, Brian Lucas, Hastings City New World, Hastings
Bronze Award- Vanilla, Ginger, Pear & Caramel, Shane Kearns Viands Bakery, Kihikihi
Highly Commended- Rhubarb, Apple & Lime, Tai Khau, Better Quality Pie Ltd, Rotorua
GOURMET MEAT:
Gold Award - Venison, Mushroom, Bacon & Cheese, Lee Ing, Fast & Fresh Bakery, Taupo
Silver Award- Pork, Onion & Cheese, Patrick Lam, Gold Star Pat's Pies, Tauranga
Bronze Award- Lamb cutlet, Rosemary, Lemon & Kumara, Michael Kloeg, The Clareville Bakery, Carterton
Highly Commended- Chicken, Cranberries & Camembert, Sopheap Long, Hillside Bakehouse & Café , Auckland
VEGETARIAN:
Gold Award - Corn, Carrot, Potato & Mushroom, Jason Hay, Richoux Patisserie, Takapuna
Silver Award - Creamy Mushroom, James Musk, Spelt Bakery on Highgate, Dunedin
Bronze Award - Pumpkin, Kumara, Potato, Capsicum, Cauliflower, Vong Hean, Mairangi Bay Bakery, Mairangi Bay
Highly Commended- Spinach, Pumpkin, Kumara & Cottage Cheese, Chao Geemun, Baker Bob's Bakery Cafe, Tauranga
BACON & EGG:
Gold Award- Patrick Lam, Gold Star Pat's Pies, Tauranga
Silver Award- Samphois Sou, Samis Bakery & Café, Foxton
Bronze Award- Heng Seanghy, Olivers Bakehouse & Café, Auckland
Highly Commended- Lee Bou Seak, Champion Bakery & Café, Wellsford
MINCE & CHEESE:
Gold Award -Jason Hay, Richoux Patisserie, Takapuna
Silver Award- Lee Ung, Crown Bakery & Coffee, Pukekohe
Bronze Award- Shuly Ngann, Le Royal Bakery, Auckland
Highly Commended- Roger Cathro,Pak n Save Petone, Petone
STEAK & CHEESE:
Gold Award- Bunhour (Vic) Luon, Waihi Bakery Vic and Phida Ltd, Waihi
Silver Award- Roger Cathro, Pak n Save Petone, Petone
Bronze Award- Jason Hay, Richoux Patisserie, Takapuna
Highly Commended- Savanchamnap Ly, Target Bakehouse & Café, Pukekohe
POTATO TOP:
Gold Award- Bunnarith Sao, Dairy Flat Bakery Ltd, Albany
Silver Award- Try Kong, Bakers Oven, Whangapararaoa
Bronze Award- Sopanharith Chea, Angkor Wat Bakery & Coffee Shop, Waipukurau
Highly Commended- Mab Chheur, Angkor Kiwi Bakery & Café , Napier
COMMERCIAL/WHOLESALE:
Gold Award- Eddie Grooten, Dad's Pies, Hibiscus Coast
Silver Award -Jason Danielson, The Wholesale Bakery, Wanaka
Bronze Award- Amy Milina, Oxford Pies, Hamilton
Highly Commended -Terry McMahon, Couplands Bakery, Christchurch
CAFÉ BOUTIQUE:
Gold Award - Steak, Mushrooms, Carrots & Shallots, Heather Lucas, Café Pret, Sockburn
Silver Award- Steak & Cheese, Edmund Koh, Ed's Café, Mt Wellington
Bronze Award - Beef, Blue Cheese & Mustard, Melissa Kelsey Warkworth New World, Warkworth
Highly Commended- Gourmet Beef & Caramelised Onion, Lesley Lambert, Kitchen Republic, Tauranga
SUPREME:
- Gold Award Gourmet Meat, Lee Ing, Fast & Fresh Bakery, Taupo
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