Craig Hoyle discovers that solely taking one chew from a pie is less complicated stated than executed.

The important thing to judging pies, I’m informed, is to solely take one chew from every pie.

I’ve wangled my method in as a visitor taster on the Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards; there are millions of pies within the working, however I’ve requested the mince and cheese class – you possibly can’t beat a traditional.

In fact, it’s not simply concerning the style.

“We’re searching for a pie that has very nice flaky pastry on the highest, good raise, it’s not sunken or shrunk in any respect,” says decide Pippa Halliday, who says it’s additionally vital {that a} pie has an evenly-baked color throughout the highest, sides and base.

Up to now, so good. A tray of 12 pies seems, and every is rigorously offered to Halliday, fellow mince-and-cheese judges Ralph Thorogood and Paul Barber, and… me.

There’s really two of every pie. One which’s left entire, so the presentation may be assessed, and one other that’s minimize in half after which into small wedges. Some sit like a slice of cake, with pert layers of mince and cheese; others collapse into oozy goodness.

Chris McKeen/Stuff Pippa Halliday judges mince and cheese pies on the Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards.

The flavours are surprisingly distinct for such a easy pie. Some are cheesier, others peppery, and a pair have a candy tinge as if there’s relish within the filling.

“We would like an excellent steadiness of mince to cheese,” says Halliday, “with a balanced flavour that’s not too overpowering. Generally we get pies which have one thing that we’re not anticipating in there, which is usually a good or a foul factor.”

The judges take one chew from every slice, after which throw the remaining in a bin that serves as a pie spittoon. I can’t assist myself, and end each slice however one – a pie that it appears is meant to be smoked, however tastes a bit burnt.

My mistake shortly turns into obvious: one other tray of pies seems, after which one other, and I’ve to faucet out lengthy earlier than we hit quantity 36.

Chris McKeen/Stuff Every pie is minimize in half and judged on presentation and style.

“To be trustworthy, while you’re 20-plus pies in, you may get fairly overwhelmed,” displays Halliday, whose day job is as a analysis and improvement coordinator at Mauri NZ, a division of George Weston Meals.

Relegated to observer standing, I’m busy asking questions concerning the artwork of judging pies.

“There’s no such factor as a foul pie,” says chief decide Tim Aspinall, in what looks as if a reasonably daring assertion.

“It is likely to be completely different, it won’t be to your liking… [but the person who baked it] thought it was good, so when you don’t assume it’s good, you don’t need to have it.”

Aspinall, a retired cookery college tutor who describes himself as a “good previous Māori boy from the East Coast”, says on the subject of pies, presentation is every little thing.

Chris McKeen/Stuff Pippa Halliday was amongst dozens of judges on the 2023 Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards.

“Principally, does it say: ‘eat me!’ And am I gonna return and purchase it once more? It’s gotta look pretty and golden and flaky, and the ratio of gravy to meat, or no matter it’s, needs to be balanced.”

There is probably not any such factor as a foul pie, however on the subject of the supreme awards there are strict guidelines. Auditor Brian Wilmshurst roams the room ensuring the product is as much as scratch; I peer over his shoulder at a clipboard record of pies which were rejected, a tally that’s already previous 60.

A lot of the banned pies are too heavy, Wilmshurst explains. If pies are over the load restrict they’re put aside to be reweighed, and in the event that they nonetheless don’t make the minimize they’re pulled from the working and slapped with a giant pink ‘disqualified’ sticker.

Bakels managing director Brent Kersel says there’s been a marked step-up within the Kiwi pie scene lately.

“Pies used to get a little bit of a foul rap for fats content material and issues like that,” he says, “however immediately, what you see coming by is the good-quality cuts of meat. It’s lean beef and lamb, so it actually makes a distinction.”

Chris McKeen/Stuff You may’t beat a traditional mince and cheese pie, in response to Tim Aspinall and Brent Kersel.

Kersel posits that pies are even changing into a vacationer attraction.

“We’re well-known for pies abroad. We have now individuals coming right here on their holidays, they usually’ve acquired an itinerary for which pie retailers they need to go to, you realize. I believe it’s simply going to proceed to develop.

“There’s limitless potentialities with pies … It’s an actual heat filler, particularly on a chilly day. Most individuals, once they eat a pie, they’re fairly joyful.”

My most vital query for Kersel: “How typically do you reckon you eat a pie your self?”

“Oh jeez,” he chuckles, “I is likely to be giving myself up right here! Put it this fashion, I eat lots of halves. When now we have one thing in right here to trial, you don’t really eat an entire pie, you may attempt a half.”

Kersel is a agency “mince and cheese man”; Aspinall is likewise a fan of “good previous mince and cheese”, though he’s simply tasted a “lovely paua pie”, and in addition references muttonbird and watercress, and pork bones and puha.

Chris McKeen/Stuff Judges Ralph Thorogood, Paul Barber and Pilla Halliday, left to proper sporting black, assess mince and cheese pies.

“It’s simply wonderful, the range of pie themes, matters and fillings,” says Aspinall, who eats pies “not less than as soon as a fortnight, however typically each second day”.

“It’s a meal on the run, isn’t it? You’ve gotta have ‘em. It’s acquired every little thing there. It’s contained, it’s acquired a case, it holds all of it collectively, and you’ll’t go mistaken. I’m going looking up north, and I’ll get a pie on the way in which up, and about 10 minutes up the highway I’ll pull off into the bush someplace and have an excellent previous pie.”

The Supreme Pie Awards have been held yearly since 1996, with pies judged blind throughout 11 classes. Gold medal winners from these classes are then in competition for the Supreme Award, which will likely be introduced at an awards ceremony at Auckland’s Cordis Resort on Tuesday.

Chris McKeen/Stuff A whole bunch of pies await judging on the 2023 Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards.

4 years in the past, Bakels additionally launched the apprentice pie awards, that are held forward of the principle occasion “to attempt to convey the younger bakers by”, Kersel says.

“We began apprenticeship coaching 15 years in the past, as a result of we felt there was a scarcity of coaching inside the business. And as bakers captivated with baking, we wished to guarantee that baking was alive and properly in 10, 20, 30 years’ time.”

Within the meantime, dozens of judges are wading their method by hundreds of pies on the Bakels web site in Penrose.

Halliday is, she concedes, “very full”.

“I’m actually glad that we’ve acquired a break now earlier than the following class!”