Baker brings home gold in pie olympics
After an award-winning cheese and mince pie? Baker Bun Heng Wong has one for you…
A Panmure mince–and–cheese pie won gold at the 2016 Bakel’s Supreme Pie Awards, beating 353 other wannabe mince–and–cheese competitors.
Panmure Bakehouse baker has a history of winning awards at the competition.
“I won a bronze for a bacon and egg pie in 2010 and silver for mince and cheese in 2012.”
Happy with his gold award, Wong is keen to keep winning. “Every year I plan to enter,” he says.
Judging of the more than 5000 pies entered in the many categories took 10 hours with judges assessing pie flavour, filling to gravy ratio, shape retention, pastry thickness, and evenness of baking.
Chief judge Tim Aspinall had a few hints for competitors.
“What I look for in a winning pie … Does it say ‘Eat Me’? Does it is have the wow factor and invite me to go further? Is the pastry evenly cooked to a golden brown? Does the aroma and flavour want me to pick it up and eat more?”
Pamure Bakehouse customers think Wong’s gold award–winning pie has the wow factor.
Enthusiast Rupert Hancock gives Wong’s winning pie a thumbs up.
“The pastry’s flaky and they have the mince to cheese ratio perfect. The flavour of the mince is good and they’re great value too.”
Wong bakes a variety of pies daily ranging from kiwi classics such as mince and cheese to more unusual flavours such as pork and watercress.
The gold award came with a $1000 cheque presented at an awards dinner attended by Prime Minister John Key.
