Awards
Great Aussie Pie - Best pie maker in Australia
The most contested and publicised baking competition in Australia has this year been won by Village Hot Bake Bakery Café in Dubbo, NSW.
The 14th Great Aussie Pie Competition held at Fine Foods in Sydney on 9th September 2003 was the most fiercely contended competition yet. Pie makers from every part of Australia sent 1450 pies to be scrutinised by 13 judges over a five-day period.
Competition organiser, John Ross said, "I have been running this competition now for 14 years and it never ceases to amaze me just how competitive the baking industry is. Every year we see an increased number of entries and this year witnessed the largest increase of 33% over last year."
"The two main reasons for the huge popularity of this competition are the inherent publicity and promotion for the winner and the feedback from judges on how individual's pies are fared and advice from judges on how individual's pies can be improved," added John Ross.
Chief Pie Judge, Mike French said, "The quality of product we are now judging is on many occasions brilliant. Most pie makers put extreme effort into their formulas and production methods and the reason is obvious, the reward for carrying the title of Best Pie Maker in Australia has seen previous winners businesses blow out of proportion. Due to competitions in general, the industry standards are improving year on end. Rank and file are seeing that it's not just a few privileged that win, anyone can."
