We know that there are pies, and then there are ‘Pies’! They’re the ones with the Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards endorsement on the bakery window, bakery walls and/or on the pie warmer.
Bakers who win a Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Award in Supreme, Gold, Silver, Bronze or even rank in the top 10, are proud to tell their customers that their hard work has paid off and that their pies have made it successfully through rigorous judging up against around 5000 other pies.
Increased Competition
The hunt is now for this year’s ultimate Supreme Pie in the 27th Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards with bakers enthusiastically perfecting their pies ready for entering one of New Zealand’s largest food competitions and arguably the most popular in this pie-loving nation. The winners announced on July 29.
So we asked NZ Bakels managing director Brent Kersel how hard is it to get one of those awards?
“It’s actually getting harder to win this competition and any of the awards; that’s an indication of how the standard keeps improving. Just when we think it can’t get any better, bakers surprise us with their innovation and commitment to the perfect pie. Just recently MKR and Off the Grid chef Manu Feildel told Paula Bennett during a NZ Herald interview that ‘One hundred per cent better pies than anywhere else I’ve been travelling around the world.’
“Feildel mentioned pie shops all around the country, even in the most isolated small towns, and he raved about their pies – the buttery pastry made from scratch, the flavours of the fillings, and he described them as ‘absolutely delicious’. New Zealand has proven that it ranks top in the world for its pies with over 80 million being baked annually to confirm that. So it’s always tremendous to hear well-known chefs state that.”
Delicious Smell
Mr Kersel says during the blind judging process various points are awarded, including for: presentation such as colour profile; evenness of the bake; shape retention; controlled pastry lift; and thickness of the pastry; filling texture; colouring and quality; and of course the eating properties. Does it taste good? Would you take another bite? What is the aroma like? The last one is something that bakers may not always consider, but our judges smell the pie after the first bite. It’s got to smell delicious and inviting.
“Our 20 judges have years’ of baking experience, and as hard as it is to find the gold-winning pies that go on to the Supreme judging round, once the new set of judges start the final round, we can see that they are evaluating only the very best pies in New Zealand. It’s exciting to watch.”
“Who will win this year? We’ll let you know on July 29 so you can lineup to give the winning pies your unofficial judging,” says Mr Kersel.
Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards – finding the best pies in NZ since 1996.
KEY DATES
Entries are now open
June 26 entries close
July 24 judging day
July 29 Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards
For more details see: https://www.pieawards.nz/
