Gourmet Fruit pie crowned the country's best in

2011 Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards

A spiced plum, port and apple pie has knocked the classic meat pie off its perch, beating out a record 4,400 entries to take out the coveted title of the country's top pie in the 2011 Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards.  This is only the second time in the award's 15 year history that a Gourmet Fruit pie has won the Supreme pie award.

This year's Supreme winning pie was made by baker Shane Kearns of Viands Bakery, of Kihikihi, on State Highway 3 near Te Awamatu in the King Country.

Shane Kearn's win ended the four year dream run of pie maker Pat Lam, of Gold Star Patrick's Pies in Tauranga and Rotorua, who won the Supreme award four times in a row, including twice with a bacon and egg pie. And it was definitely a family team effort for the Viands Bakery with Shayne making the pastry and wife, Kathy designing the filling.  Kathy says the inspiration came to her in the middle of the night.

"I woke up and thought 'right, port wine and plum', so I woke Shayne and told him, and he said, 'Yes, plus apple.' She said she designed the pie as a winter dessert.

"We moved here eight months ago from Hawkes Bay, and it is cold here. Our pie was inspired by winter.  It also contains cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla paste and a lot of orange juice.  I kept tasting and refining it as you can't have the port wine too strong."

The Kearns are part of a baking dynasty. Kathy's parents, John and Linda Attwell own Osler's Bakery, in Wairoa, and were previous Supreme winners in 2002. Kathy's two brothers are also part of the Wairoa bakery. The Attwells plan to move to Te Awamatu to join the Kearns' two bakery operation in Te Awamatu and in Kihikihi. The Kearns' produce about 300 pies a day, including 18 different varieties. They have a loyal clientele of dairy farmers, plumbers, electricians "plus average Mums and Dads."

The Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards are the country's most high profile and popular food contest. This year's awards attracted 4,400 entries, the highest ever number, from more than 380 bakeries across the nation. 

More than 18 judges spent a mammoth day last Thursday (July 21) judging the pies which are blind coded in 11 categories: mince and gravy; steak, vegetables and gravy; steak and cheese; chicken and vegetables; gourmet meat; vegetarian; bacon and egg; mince and cheese; gourmet fruit; seafood and commercial wholesale. Chief Judge Grant Wilson, who is owner and managing director of Maketu Pies, in the Bay of Plenty, said the standards were "way up" on last year. Grant has been making pies for 29 years and says Kiwis are "passionate" about pies.

"I think they are convenient and a good quality pie is a good snack or meal, especially if you are active. It's just a real Kiwi thing." Grant Wilson believes the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards have been a great boost for the industry. "They keep pies at the forefront. The Pie Awards are a good Kiwi icon and I just think bakers are trying to give people better and better pies."

Fellow Judge James Buckrell, of BJs Bakery chain in Hastings, agrees. "The quality of pies was way up on last year. A lot of bakers have stepped up their act, and the flavours were really beautiful. All the people who won Gold Awards deserve to be there." James Buckrell said the Kearns' Gourmet Fruit pie was a real stand out.

"It was a perfect looking pie in the way it was hand crafted. The flavours of plum and port wine did not overpower each other." James Buckrell also agrees that the Pie Awards have pushed the whole pie sector into the limelight and helped to push up the quality of Kiwi pies. "Pies have stepped away from being a lower item into a gourmet item. Even the basic mince pie is a lot better than it was."

Bakels NZ CEO and Pie Awards Judge Duncan Loney says he was delighted with the calibre of entries in this year's awards. He also says the overall pie market remains buoyant, with Kiwis chomping their way through 75 million pies a year and the market worth in excess of $140 million a year.

Although Asian bakeries continued to dominate the entries and the winners' list, this year also saw a strong resurgence from traditional Kiwi bakers.

Below are the winners and images of the 2011 Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards.

The Supreme Pie Awards were announced at the dinner at the Rendezvous Hotel, (Tuesday, July 26). That Guy, Leigh Hart was MC (Bond, James Bond). He was joined on stage for the presentation of the awards by some of New Zealand best known foodies and celeb pie lovers.

To view the Bond clip featured at the awards evening featuring the MC, 'That Guy', view the 'You Tube' site by clicking onto the attached link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P49cxkBa-GA

To order your Hi Res images of the Awards evening below, contact Bruce Jarvis: 09 445 1309 or e-mail bruce@brucejarvis.co.nz

Up for grabs was the Supreme Award, receiving $7,500 cash and the coveted Supreme Piemaker Trophy, while all Gold award winners received $1,000 cash.

For further Media information please contact:

Pauline Ray or Sarah Collier: 09 377 2907/021 958 635/ 021 263 4668 or pray@dockstreet.co.nz

2011 RESULTS

MINCE & GRAVY

STEAK (DICED) VEGETABLES & GRAVY

CHICKEN & VEGETABLE

GOURMET FRUIT

GOURMET MEAT

VEGETARIAN

BACON & EGG

MINCE & CHEESE

STEAK & CHEESE

SEAFOOD

COMMERCIAL/WHOLESALE

SUPREME

Background

NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Awards had the theme of...

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

M16 Headquarters, London.

James Bond reclines in a large leather chair staring at the large flickering screen. M appears to address him.

"Bond, I know you are focused on the royal wedding but now we have an even more major event that needs our attention. It is a matter of great pride that the '00' section has been chosen for this assignment. Your objective is to penetrate the baking institutions of New Zealand to identify and find the best of the best. I am of course taking about pies. These culinary treasures will then need to be escorted to the secret locations, where a series of rigourous tests will be inflicted on them to find the very best. Few will survive but the fight is worth it. Now, the words out, I'm afraid, and the SAS has been placed on full alert to intercept you, but I know you won't let me down. Good luck, bond. Any questions? No? Good"

Q walks in and shuffles up to Bond. Q gives Bond a sleek black case and tells him he's been working on creating a device that can detect the quality of a pie. Perfect thought Bond just what I need to sort through the thousands of pies I will find. He clicked open the case and inside were an ordinary looking knife and fork. How does it work Q? He asked. It's easy James you cut open the pie and eat it.... It's the only way to tell if it's any good.

Bond lent back into the soft leather plane set and reflected on the task ahead, thousands of pies all over the country.

Adjusting his tie he walked to the black Aston the nervous valet shifted his weight from foot to foot. Bond checked the panels. Satisfied he speed off dialing Miss Moneypenny.  Honey bun I'm going to need help on this one put the word out to all our kiwi agents. We need pies, thousands of pies and we need the best. Miss Moneypenny urgently sent off the email...

Dear NZ Agents. For your chance to be recognised as the maker of a pie of national importance see the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards information below.

'Call for Entry' packs for this year's 15^th Annual Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards will be sent out in the first week of May 2011. If you have never entered before and would like a chance to enter your best pie, please send us your details by visiting our "contact" link on the website or phone NZ Bakels toll free on 0800 PIE LINE (0800 743 5463) during office hours.

Your completed entry needs to be into NZ Bakels by 5.00pm, 30^th June 2011 on an official entry form.

                                                                   NEVER SAY NEVER