A mouth-watering passion project from photographer Derek Morrison lifts the lid on some of Aotearoa’s most luxurious pastries.
It all started around a summer campfire on the West Coast of New Zealand.
A bunch of Kiwi blokes were throwing around ideas for acoffee table book. It wasn’t a completely random conversation because award-winning photographer Derek Morrison was in the group and he had already produced some top-selling photography books, including Surf Dreams and New Zealand Surf Culture.
“We all laughed and we didn’t all take it seriously until the next day and then we thought ‘Actually, that’s a really good idea',” Morrison told RNZ’s Nine to Noon.
Over the next few years, that fireside group expanded and fanned out around the country finding and tasting potential subjects for Morrison’s latest coffee table New Zealand’s Best Gourmet Pies. It was published last month.
“I had about 80 people sending me photos of pies that should be in the book and the concept just took on a life of its own. I knew that there was something really good there.”
New Zealand’s Best Gourmet Pies isn’t just food porn where the 38 selected pies are the celebrated focal point. The coffee table book peels back the story behind each pie and its place of origin in photos and words.
For the ultimate pie enthusiast, a companion tea towel provides a road trip map with all 38 pie locations around New Zealand.
The pies are a few steps beyond your grisly mince offering at whatever petrol station. One of the standout inclusions for Morrison is the beef rendang pie from the Lunch Bar in Port Chalmers, near Dunedin.
The pie came about when a baker hired someone who came from Malaysia and they collaborated on the flavour.
“I had one in 2012. I will never forget it. I drove away thinking I’m going to get another one.”
For a full list of New Zealand’s top-ranked pies, as voted at the Bakels NZ Pie Awards 2024, click HERE
Unfortunately for Morrison, the bakery made a limited number each day and every time he stopped by it was sold out. It would be five years before he got his hands on another one. The third time he had the pie, he was photographing it for the book.
“I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Port Chalmers down there and the Lunch Bar.”
Pies are known for their portability. Photo / 123rf
One love-it-or-hate-it inclusion in the book is the pāua pie. Most people are used to eating the New Zealand shellfish via oceanside barbecue, but in this instance, it’s creamy paua mince wrapped in pastry.
“It is probably way more delicious than you think it might be if you are not a pāua fan and if you are a pāua fan, then it’s like heaven.”
Pies are known for their portability – pull over in a car, grab a pie and eat while driving. A key to that is the integrity of the pastry.
“A bit of hot mince on the inner thigh is not good.”
Morrison met many “pastry whisperers” on his travels, including the baker behind Fat Bastard Pies in Invercargill. He built himself a climate-controlled bakery to perfect his pastry.
“He is so passionate about the science of pastry. For him, it is a no-brainer.”
Pastry “crumb fall”, as the fireside group called it, became one of the measures for a pie’s inclusion in the book.
“How much crumb fall you had on your T-shirt was a good sign.”
