Returning for a second year, Ballarat’s Best Pie competition will see 28 local restaurants, cafes and bakeries vie for the 2024 title.
Taking place across the region from 1-31 August, 10 first timers and 18 returning favourites will compete for top honours.
On Saturday 3 August, culinary journalist and MasterChef Australia judge 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), Richard Cornish (award-winning food writer) and Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson for a slice of the fun as this year’s winners are crowned.
Across August, pie lovers can taste all the region has to offer on the self-guided Ballarat Pie Trail. From twists on traditional flavours to ambitious creations, there will be pies to satisfy all taste buds and palettes.
The list of this year’s participating venues includes:
SAVOURY PIES
- 1816 Bakehouse: Beef Filet Mignon Pie – Succulent beef ragu with sauteed mushrooms and streaky bacon, encased in house-made garlic butter pastry.
- 321 Cafe: Lamb Shank with Mustard Mash Potato Pie – Slow-cooked lamb shank with a medley of veggies and herbs, topped with creamy mustard mash potato.
- Aunty Jacks: Steak and Ale Pie –Tender steak, braised onions, bacon and Aunty Jacks’ Dark Ale, served with creamy potato mash and steamed veggies.
- Beechworth Bakery: Grampian Shiraz Slow-cooked Beef Pie – Slow-cooked beef infused with cracked pepper in a rich red wine sauce.
- Black Cat Truffles by Liam Downes: Short Rib, Mushroom, and Truffle Pie – A savoury pie with a rich sauce made from truffle and mushrooms.
- Boatshed Restaurant: Seafood Pie – Prawns and scallops in a creamy chardonnay sauce, baked to perfection.
- Cornerstone Cafe: Coq au Vin Pie – A hearty pie featuring tender chicken cooked in red wine with mushrooms, onions and bacon.
- Flying Chillies: Mum’s Curry Laksa Pie – A comforting blend of spices and coconut gravy with chicken, prawns, tofu puff, egg, and fish cake.
- Golden City Hotel: Beef and Guinness Pie – Waubra beef slow-cooked in rich Guinness with carrots, peas and a golden puff pastry lid.
- Grainery Lane: Braised Duck and Shiitake Pie – Mouthwatering duck and shiitake mushrooms in a tangy mandarin honey sauce.
- Hope Bakery at Sovereign Hill: Vegemite and Cheese Pie – A classic Australian combination of vegemite and cheese, baked to perfection in a woodfire oven.
- Hop Temple: Chicken Mole Verde Pie – Flaky pastry shell filled with green chicken mole, served alongside sidewinder fries and jalapeno jam.
- Hotel Canberra: Pork Adobo Pie – A Filipino family classic, combining sweet, savoury and spicy pork in a flaky pastry.
- Kilderkin Distillery: Oh Deer – Gin-braised venison with botanicals and native fruit, delivering a distinctive taste.
- Mitchell Harris Wine Bar: Chicken à la King Pie – Creamy chicken filling with mushrooms, red peppers and onions, nestled in a crisp pastry case.
- Mondergreen Cafe: Teriyaki Chicken and Mushroom Pie – Tender chicken, local mushrooms and vegetables braised in a flavour-packed teriyaki sauce.
- New York Bakery at Sovereign Hill: Mutton and Leek Pie – Braised mutton and leek wrapped in a delicious pithivier-style pie.
- 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.
- Peasant: The Urban Shepherd – Layers of sliced potato, slow-cooked lamb, cheese fondue, potato puree and goat cheese baked in a shortcrust pastry, served with baby mustard leaves.
- Red Duck Brewery and Distillery: Chicken and the Fox – Chicken cooked with Red Duck’s Red Fox beer, creating a unique flavour profile.
- Roy Hammond: Braised Pork and Kimchi Pie Bao – A modern twist on a pie, served bao style, with flavoursome braised pork and kimchi.
- 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.
- Turret Bakehouse: Beef and Porter Pie – Braised beef simmered in Red Duck Porter Ale jus, enveloped in buttery pastry.
SWEET PIES
- Aussie Oggie Pasty Co: Apple Crumble Pie – Warming spiced apple with a dollop of cream.
- Itinerant Spirits: Wild Orchard Apple and Vansetter Vodka Pie – A sweet apple and vodka pie served warm with a creamy pine nettle ice-cream.
- Le Peche Gourmand: Gâteau Basque – A delightful pastry filled with vanilla crème pâtissière and apricot jam.
- Saltbush Kitchen: Eat the Bush – Slow-cooked native fruits and red berries wrapped in a handmade lemon myrtle pastry, finished with a sweet crumble.
- The Shared Table: Garden Harvest Pie – A delectable pithivier filled with apple, rhubarb and almond, served with a miso caramel ice-cream.
Last year, more than 2,500 pies were sold throughout the month of August.
Flying Chillies was crowned Grand Prize Winner for its Babi Ponfteh Pie, while Kilderkin Distillery’s Grandma Harriet’s Bramble and Apple Pie took out Best Sweet Pie and the Smoked Brisket and American Cheddar Pie from 1816 Bakehouse was named Best Savoury Pie.
Ballarat’s Best Pie is an initiative of Tourism Midwest Victoria which is supported by the City of Ballarat, and is intended to drive visitation to Ballarat and its surrounds by shining a light on the region’s many talented producers and chefs.
For more information or to download the self-guided map, head to visitvisitballarat.com.au/ballarats-best-pie
Images of pies for publication can be downloaded here.
Quote attributable to Tourism Midwest Victoria Chair Hon. John Pandazopoulos
“Victoria’s Midwest is brimming with some of the best produce in the state and it’s remarkable seeing these flavours brought to life by the region’s talented chefs, especially in the form of a pie.
More than 2,500 pies were purchased last year, proving Ballarat’s Best Pie can deliver on its goal of getting people out and exploring the region during the tail end of winter.
To this year’s contenders, good luck, and to everyone else, what a good excuse to invite your friends and family to town and taste as many pies as you can.”
Quote attributable to 2024 Ballarat’s Best Pie Judge, Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson
“Ballarat’s culinary scene is one to watch, not only do we have great restaurants, cafes, bakeries, bars and producers but our pies are some of the most mouthwatering you’ll ever have!”
I encourage you, your family and friends to get out and about in our city and sample the great pies we have to offer, why not start ticking them off the Pie Trail and rank your favourites.
Ballarat’s Best Pies is a much-loved competition in Ballarat, and I am incredibly fortunate to be one of the lucky pie judges for 2024.”
Quote attributable to 2024 Ballarat’s Best Pie Judge, Tim Bone
“A hot pie on a Ballarat winter’s day! Does it get any better than that?
We are fortunate enough to have some incredibly talented producers and makers right here on our doorstep. What better way to highlight and celebrate them than by inviting locals and visitors to discover what our region has to offer through the joy of a delicious pie? I urge you to commit the month of August to exploring the Ballarat Pie Trail and indulging in as many pies as you can handle.
As a returning judge, I have the enviable job of sampling all the amazing creations and I cannot wait. It’s a tough gig, but someone’s gotta do it!”
Quote attributable to 2023 Ballarat’s Best Pie Grand Prize Winner, Lilly Wright of Flying Chillies
“Winning last year’s competition was incredible and such an honour. It has changed my life personally and professionally, opening doors I never imagined.
I’m back this year with renewed excitement to defend my title and showcase my pies once again. Ballarat’s Best Pie not only fuels my passion but gives me the opportunity to showcase my business to a wider audience and attract new customers.
This community has been a cornerstone of my journey, and I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement I have received. I can’t wait to see all the incredible entries this year and wish everyone the best of luck!”
Quote attributable to Sovereign Hill Museums Association Deputy CEO, Katrina Nitschke
“The Ballarat Best Pie competition is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Ballarat’s vibrant food scene and showcase the incredible produce of our region. We encourage everyone to support our local businesses, and experience some of the best culinary delights our city has to offer.
As part of the trail, we’ve teamed up with the renowned Peter Rowland Catering to create a Vegemite and Meat Pie and a hearty Braised Lamb Pie to tantalise the taste buds.”
For further interviews, please contact hello@tourismmidwestvic.com.au