Recent research has revealed that 70% of Australians eat a pie at least once a month and 30% of Aussies consume them weekly.
The survey further uncovered that Victorians and Tasmanians are our nation’s biggest pie eaters, with one third (33%) eating at least one pie week. New South Wales and ACT closely followed with 32%, then South Australia and Northern Territory (31%), Western Australia (26%) and finally Queensland (25%).
Jim Myers, co-owner of Miss Amelie Gourmet Pies, says Australians definitely have an appetite for pies, we are a country of pie lovers.
"At Miss Amelie Gourmet Pies we are busy year-round and we have just opened a new location and hired a new Chef to help our team keep up with the demand,” Jim reveals.
The Good Gut pie.
A relatively new brand in the pie biz, Miss Amelie Gourmet Pies was born out of the COVID pandemic in regional Victoria to cater for the appetite of the Albury-Wodonga region to have nutritious, gourmet food home delivered. Four years on, this Wodonga-born business is thriving with three upmarket cafes across the North East in Albury, Wodonga and Beechworth, as well as outlet stores in Melbourne at the Prahran Market and now at the historic Queen Victoria Market.
"At Miss Amelie Gourmet Pies, all our pies are restaurant quality and are made with absolute health in mind. We ensure our Chefs don’t add any sugar, preservatives, artificial colours, flavours or seed oils, as they can be inflammatory,” Jim says.
For Spring and Summer, Miss Amelie Gourmet Pies has more than 15 delicious varieties in its range, featuring some traditional choices such as lamb shank, garlic and steak and onion gravy. Plus, contemporary options including the Chinese BBQ pork belly pie and the Good Gut pie.
Here are five gourmet pie and wine pairings to put on your menu this week:
Beef cheek and red wine pie:
A traditional French recipe with succulent pieces of locally-sourced beef cheeks, marinated in French master stock with red wine and thyme, then slowly braised for 16 hours.
Chinese BBQ pork belly pie:
Marinated and braised pork belly with classic Chinese BBQ flavours including hoisin and oyster sauce, five spice, garli, ginger and Chinese wine.
Moroccan-style slow-cooked goat:
Slow-cooked diced goat in a Moroccan-style sauce of cinnamon, lemon, turmeric, chilli and smoked paprika.
Tasmanian scallop and King salmon chowder pie:
Tasmanian scallops and Australian King prawns in a seafood chowder made from lobster stock and sweet corn.
Thai red curry duck:
Master stock cooked, Australian farmed duck leg in an authentic, mild Thai red curry sauce with chilli, garlic, lemongrass, turmeric, shrimp paste and pineapple.
