BALLARAT’S ‘BEST PIE’ RETURNS FOR SECONDS

Hope Bakery at Sovereign Hill

Returning for a second year, Ballarat’s beloved ‘Best Pie’ competition will see 27 local restaurants, cafes and venues vying for the 2024 title. 

 

Taking place across the city from 1-31 August, this year will see 10 more entries including first timers The George Hotel (Beef Rendang Pie); Boatshed Restaurant (Seafood Pie); Itinerant Spirits (Wild Orchard Apple and Vansetter Vodka Pie); and The Shared Table (Garden Harvest Pie). Last year’s Grand Prize Winner Flying Chillies is back and will try to take the title again with its Mum’s Curry Laksa Pie. 

 

Across August, pie lovers can taste all the city has to offer on the self-guided Ballarat Pie Trail. Visitors to Ballarat can pick up the map from the Ballarat Information Centre or download it online at visitballarat.com.au/ballarats-best-pie. 

 

On Saturday 3 August, culinary journalist and MasterChef Australia host Sofia Levin will host the 2024 Ballarat’s Best Pie Awards at Hop Temple. From 3pm, join judges and pie connoisseurs Tim Bone (MasterChef Australia) and Richard Cornish (food writer) for a slice of the fun and witness the thrilling moment the winners are crowned. 

 

From twists on traditional flavours to ambitious creations, there will be pies to satisfy all taste buds and palettes - savoury to sweet. The list of participating venues and pies includes: 

 

SAVOURY PIES 

• Flying Chillies: Mum’s Curry Laksa Pie - A comforting blend of spices and coconut gravy with chicken, prawns, tofu puff, egg, and fish cake.
• Beechworth Bakery: Sher Wagyu and Grampian Shiraz Pie - Slow-cooked beef infused with cracked pepper in a rich red wine sauce.
• 1816 Bakehouse: Beef Filet Mignon Pie - Succulent beef ragu with sauteed mushrooms and streaky bacon, encased in house-made garlic butter pastry.
• Hop Temple: Chicken Mole Verde Pie - Flaky pastry shell filled with green chicken mole, served alongside sidewinder fries and jalapeno jam.
• Aunty Jacks: Steak and Ale Pie - Tender steak, braised onions, bacon and Aunty Jacks’ Dark Ale, served with creamy potato mash and steamed veggies.
• Grainery Lane: Braised Duck and Shiitake Pie - Mouthwatering duck and shiitake mushrooms in a tangy mandarin honey sauce.
• Roy Hammond: Braised Pork and Kimchi Pie Bao - A modern twist on a pie, served bao style, with flavoursome braised pork and kimchi.
• Mitchell Harris Wine Bar: Chicken à la King Pie - Creamy chicken filling with mushrooms, red peppers and onions, nestled in a crisp pastry case.
• Nolans Restaurant: Pulled Venison, Mushroom and Gallivanter Gin Pie - Savoury combination of venison, mushrooms and gin, served with pickled blueberries and a juniper-venison jus.
• The George Hotel: George Beef Rendang Pie - Slow-cooked rump marinated in coconut milk and rendang curry paste, served with creamy mash and pickled green papaya.

• Golden City Hotel: Beef and Guinness Pie - Waubra beef slow-cooked in rich Guinness with carrots, peas and a golden puff pastry lid.
• Cornerstone Café: Coq au Vin Pie - Tender chicken cooked in red wine with mushrooms, onions and bacon, creating a hearty pie.
• Turret Bakehouse: Beef and Porter Pie - Braised beef simmered in Red Duck Porter Ale jus, enveloped in buttery pastry.
• Hotel Canberra: Pork Adobo Pithivier - A Filipino family classic, combining sweet, savoury and spicy pork in a flaky pastry.
• Boatshed Restaurant: Seafood Pie - Prawns and scallops in a creamy chardonnay sauce, baked to perfection.
• Mondegreen Café: Teriyaki Chicken and Mushroom Pie - Tender chicken, local mushrooms and vegetables braised in a flavour-packed teriyaki sauce.
• Red Duck Brewery and Distillery: Chicken and the Fox - Chicken cooked with Red Duck fox beer, creating a unique flavour profile.
• Peasant: The Urban Shepherd - Layers of sliced potato, slow-cooked lamb, cheese fondue, potato puree and goats' cheese baked in a shortcrust pastry, served with baby mustard leaves.
• Kilderkin Distillery: Oh Deer - Gin-braised venison with botanicals and native fruit, delivering a distinctive taste.
• New York Bakery at Sovereign Hill: Mutton and Leek Pie - Braised mutton and leek wrapped in a delicious pithivier-style pie.
• Hope Bakery at Sovereign Hill: Vegemite and Cheese Pie - A classic Australian combination of vegemite and cheese, baked to perfection in a woodfire oven.
• Black Cat Truffles by Liam Downes: Short Rib, Mushroom, and Truffle Pie - A savoury pie with a rich sauce made from truffle and mushrooms.
• 321 Café: Lamb Shank with Mustard Mash Potato Pie - Slow-cooked lamb shank with a medley of veggies and herbs, topped with creamy mustard mash potato.

 

SWEET PIES 

• Itinerant Spirits: Wild Orchard Apple and Vansetter Vodka Pie - A sweet apple and vodka pie served warm with a creamy pine nettle ice-cream.
• Saltbush Kitchen: Eat the Bush - Slow-cooked native fruits and red berries wrapped in a handmade lemon myrtle pastry, finished with a sweet crumble.
• Aussie Oggie Pasty Co.: Apple Crumble Pie - Warming spiced apple with a dollop of cream.
• The Shared Table: Garden Harvest Pie - A delectable pithivier filled with apple, rhubarb and almond, served with a miso caramel ice-cream.
• Le Peche Gourmand: Gâteau Basque - A delightful pastry filled with vanilla crème pâtissière and apricot jam.

 

For more information, head to visitballarat.com.au/ballarats-best-pie.