After tasting approximately 1,500 entries from all across the land, The Great Aussie Pie Competition’s “dedicated connoisseurs” have once again determined where you’ll find the country’s best.
For the esteemed honour of Australia’s supreme plain meat pie, Paradise Bakehouse located in Bundaberg, Queensland, has taken home the top prize ($6.90) – outperforming the likes of The Pie Father in Roseberry, NSW (category runner-up), and the usual suspects that have historically dominated these events, e.g. Country Cob Bakery.
Paradise Bakehouse also won Best Apprentice Vegetarian Pie with its “Veggie Lover” entrant.
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In conversation with Nine, bakery owner Lam Khong explained how his mother introduced him to pie-making at a young age. Fast-forward to adulthood, and the award-winning artisan started his own business in Perth before eventually making his way to Bundie.
While Khong also deals in the adventurous with pies featuring non-conventional ingredients such as scallops and rabbit, funnily enough, he doesn’t indulge in everyday condiments like ketchup.
“A lot of customers still put the tomato on the pie… It depends on people,” said Lam Khong.
In previous years, the “Best Meat Pie in Australia” throne has been occupied by Buddy Bakery, Pinjarra Bakery, and Whittlesea Bakehouse. So what makes for a winning recipe?
“I’m a firm believer if you use good ingredients, good flour, good margarine, you keep it simple and love what you do, then that’s what counts,” Whittlesea Bakehouse pie maker Adrian Caporetto told Star Weekly.
The competition judge Mike French, on the other hand, chalks it up to three slightly more specific elements: “A crispy pastry top with flake, a structurally sound pie bottom, and the ultimate pie filling.”
French added the ideal pie should be “baked through with a nice golden colour” with a consistent three-millimetre thick side and bottom.
“Regardless of the meat you choose, the ultimate pie filling contains meat, thickener, colour, and seasoning, and we recommend adding some onion for flavour,” explained French.
“Be sure to pay special attention to the meat-to-pastry ratio to achieve the perfect balance and not jeopardise your structure.”
“The pie should be meaty and tasty with a nice rich brown gravy, not grey or black. The filling should not fall into your lap when hot, or conversely, stick to the roof of your mouth.”
The other notable winner this year was South Australia’s Banana Boogie Bakery, which currently produces the nation’s best plain sausage roll ($5.50). As per co-owner and head baker Jason Spencer, this crown-worthy creation was stumbled upon by pure serendipity.
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“We got a recipe from one of our suppliers, and that wasn’t really the best, and we made a mistake by using the wrong spice once – and it actually came out phenomenal, and we’ve done with that recipe ever since,” revealed Spencer, who now keeps the spice in question a secret.
According to Jason Spencer, a cracking sausage roll begins with “really good gravy.”
He continued: “The meat’s got to be a good consistency, not too dry, not a lot of breadcrumb in there either, which you have to use to stop the sausage roll from shrinking.”
“We have a good relationship with our butcher, so he’s got it down to an actual perfection of what pally blends the meat for us. It’s just that nice, moist sausage roll.”
Similar to Lam Khong, Spencer also believes a flavoursome sausage roll “doesn’t need” any tomato sauce.
Here is a select list of overall winners for the 2025 Great Aussie Pie Competition.
The Best Pies in Australia (2025)
Major Titles
- Plain Meat Pie: Paradise Bakehouse (Bundaberg, QLD)
- Gourmet Pie: Mt Barker Country Bakehouse (Mount Barker, WA)
- Plain Sausage Roll: Banana Boogie Bakery (Belair, SA)
- Gourmet Sausage Roll: Samuel Gee’s Pies & Pastries (Balaclava, NSW)
- Pastie: Miami Bakehouse (Greenfields, WA)
Category Awards
- Red Meat Pie: Mt Barker Country Bakehouse (Mount Barker, WA)
- Poultry Pie: Mountain High Pies (Wentworth Falls, NSW)
- Vegetarian/Vegan Pie: Mt Barker Country Bakehouse (Mount Barker, WA)
- Pork Pie: The Pie Father (Rosebery, NSW)
- Shepherd’s/Potato Top Pie: Bruns Bakery (Brunswick, NSW)
- Slow Cooked BBQ Pie: The Pie Father (Rosebery, NSW)
- Game Pie: Hungie Fangs Artisan Bakery (Cobram, VIC)
- Seafood Pie: The Little Red Grape (Auburn, SA)
- Apple Pie: Miami Bakehouse (Greenfield, WA)
- Brekkie Pie: Mountain High Pies (Wentworth Falls, NSW)
- Gluten Free Pie: Heavens Bakehouse (Keilor East, VIC)
- Tom Lindsay Pepper Steak Pie Award: M&D Butchery (Port Cygnet, TAS)
Check out the full run of Great Aussie Pie Competition results below.
