Itinerant Spirits has taken out top honours in the 2024 Ballarat’s Best Pie Competition with its wild orchard apple and Vansetter Vodka pie, beating out 27 pies from local venues in the annual culinary battle.
The judging for the second edition of Ballarat’s Best Pie took place over the past weekend at local hotspot Hop Temple with MasterChef Australia judge Sofia Levin hosting the awards ceremony.
Itinerant Spirits’ sweet apple and vodka pie served warm with a creamy pine nettle ice cream was a favourite with judges Tim Bone (MasterChef Australia) and Richard Cornish (food writer).
THE WINNERS
• 1st place – Ballarat’s Best Pie Grand Prize Winner: Itinerant Spirits
• 2nd place – Ballarat’s Best Pie: 321 Café
• 3rd place – Ballarat’s Best Pie: Flying Chillies
• Best Sweet Pie: Itinerant Spirits
• Best Savoury Pie: 321 Café
• Best Bakery Pie: 1816 Bakehouse
• Best Hero of Local Produce: Peasant
Pie lovers can taste the winning pies along with all 28 on the self-guided Ballarat Pie Trail.
Visit Ballarat in August to taste the very best pies the city has to offer; from twists on traditional flavours to ambitious creations, there are pies to satisfy all taste buds and palates - savoury to sweet.
Maps are available from the Ballarat Information Centre, or they can be downloaded online at visitballarat.com.au/ballarats-best-pie.
The full list of participating venues and pies are:
WINNING PIES:
• Itinerant Spirits: Wild Orchard Apple and Vansetter Vodka Pie – a sweet apple and vodka pie served warm with a creamy pine nettle ice cream.
• 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.
• Flying Chillies: Mum’s Curry Laksa Pie – a comforting blend of spices and coconut gravy with chicken, prawns, tofu puff, egg, and fish cake.
• 1816 Bakehouse: Beef Filet Mignon Pie – succulent beef ragu with sauteed mushrooms and streaky bacon, encased in house-made garlic butter pastry.
• Peasant: The Urban Shepherd – layers of sliced potato, slow-cooked lamb, cheese fondue, potato puree and goat cheese baked in a shortcrust pastry.
SAVOURY PIES:
• 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 chardonnay sauce.
• Cornerstone Cafe: Coq au Vin Pie – a hearty pie featuring tender chicken cooked in red wine with mushrooms, onions and bacon.
• 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 – mouth-watering 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.
• 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 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 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 miso caramel ice cream.
