Gin Gin Bakery has won gold, silver and bronze for their delicious pies and a pastie at Australia’s Best Pie and Pastie Comp.
Gin Gin Bakery owner Maree Baker was proud and astounded after entering the awards on a whim, but it turns out her pies may just be the best thing since sliced bread.
The annual competition, which is normally held in Melbourne but due to COVID-19 restriction judging took place in Sydney, had master bakers from all over the nation enter a variety of flaky, chunky and mouth-watering pies.
Maree said they chose to enter Australia’s Best Pie and Pastie Comp at the last minute, and the baked goods were just picked straight off the shelf, frozen and despatched.
“We received letters from them inviting us to compete, but it was a last-minute decision to ente. We were very hesitant at first, then thought we should just have a go,” she said.
“We never thought we stood a chance in the competition as we are just a little country town bakery and we knew entries came from all over Australia.
“We didn't do anything differently for the pies that we entered, they were just like the pies we bake every day.”
Maree bought Gin Gin Bakery in May last year, and three of the award-winning recipes were handed down over 30 years from the former bakers, but it was the chicken pie made by her son Robert that took out a gold medal.
“We think our pies are great because of the fresh handmade pastry,” Maree said.
“Our chicken pie was made by my son Robert from his own special recipe, the other pie recipes are handed down from over 30 years from former bakers in the Gin Gin Bakery.
“Everything in our bakery is handmade here on site.
“We are so proud and honoured to receive these awards. I'm actually gobsmacked that we got anything.”
Maree said since owning Gin Gin Bakery they had struggled through COVID-19 restrictions earlier in the year and it was nice their family-run business had been recognised for their work effort.
“I'm so proud of my three sons who do all the baking for the bakery,” she said.
“They put in so many hours of hard work, which is paying off, with the great fresh selection of pies, cakes, buns etc that we have available.
“We would like to thank all our customers for their continual support especially though these hard times with the COVID-19.
“Come in and grab an award-winning pie.”
Australia’s Best Pie Comp and Australia’s Best Pastie Comp is organised by the Baking Association of Australia, the industry’s peak body, and is the baking industry’s only recognised national pie and pastie competition.
Both of these competitions carry industry prestige and pride as they are conducted by the industry and for the industry.
Hi Maree, I’m from south island NZ Invercargill, great you have the award maybe six years ago i stopped at your bakery with a friend from Bundy, we had four Bush Ranger pies ….can still taste them!!! GREAT!
For interest check out my son’s bakery in Invercargill NZ on Facebook “‘ Fat Bastard pies” he makes 1000 pies a day…I expect with your location on the highway you would be past that amount, keep up the good work!! w owen.