KATRINA BRANDON
By KATRINA BRANDON
WHAT makes a pie? Is it the flavour, the pastry, or the aroma? At Sydney’s Official Great Aussie Pie Competition (OGAPC), they shared the mouth-watering combinations of a variety of different pies from around Australia looking at flavours, proving there is much more to pies than you would think.
Missen Link from Traralgon and Pie Addicts from Morwell both entered the competition, finishing second and third respectively in their categories in Australia.
The importance of the competition for businesses is so that they can showcase their product. This competition in particular investigates all the details of each pie – warm and cold – to see which ones are the best of their kind.
Entrants submit four standard single-serving pies for each category.
Missen Link – who are known for experimenting with unique flavours – won eight medals (two silver, six bronze) in their maiden appearance.
Missen Link owner, Guy Missen said “between myself and Brad (Brad Bennett, the baker), we thought up five different pies just today … It doesn’t take us much to get a new flavour”.
“We are always trying to push the boundaries to see what goes,” he said.
Missen Link’s pies that were awarded medals included a chicken carbonara and cheeseburger pie, which won a silver medal. Their brisket bacon cheese, brisket jalapeno popper, BBQ brisket, brisket American cheese, Nana casserole and pepperoni pizza pies won bronze.
Unlike Missen Link, this was not Pie Addicts first year, but one of many attempts.
Pie Addicts’ entries in the competition included silver for the lamb, pumpkin and feta pie and bronze for the Thai chicken curry pie.
“I was a bit rushed so next time I think I will start a couple of months beforehand trialling flavours like I used to do,” said Pie Addicts owner, Debbie Carrodus.
“I normally start months before and run competitions for people buying the pies. Tell us your input into the pies and we will give you a six pack of pies or something. A lot more before the competition.”
Ms Carrodus said that this year has been really busy with the business, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enter the competition to see where her new flavour stands with the 15 judges at the competition.
“Normally I go and check what other flavours have gone in the competition to try and spark more inspiration from them,” she said.
“We are always open to suggestions to make pies. I get requests from people to make something which most of the time I will give it a crack.”
In 2020, Pie Addicts came third in Australia for their pies and will continue to improve their recipes.
Both Pie Addicts and Missen Link are eager for the next competition to come and can’t wait to create new tantalising, mouth watering, finger licking, salivating flavours.
For more information on the OGAPC go to greataussiepiecomp.com.au
Helping hand: Brad Bennett and Guy Missen.
Return: Pie Addicts competed for a consecutive year.
Team: Left to right Belinda, Pie Addicts owner Debbie, and Trish. Photographs Katrina Brandon
