Hello Pie Blog, my old friend … I’ve come to post on you again.

Note that this concerns events which took place in July 2024 — I am somewhat behind in updating the blog.

On the way back from a weekend trip to the coast, me and my companion thought the best way to break our fast on the cool and crisp wintery morning would be with some warming, nourishing pastries.

And so it was that we made our way to the Batehaven Bakehouse. On entering the shop, an array of options presented themselves. It had been a while since my last pie, and it was just the wee hours of the morning, so I thought it best to opt for something simple and … traditional. Yes, the Traditional (Beef) Pie ($6) was what I desired.

I paid for the pie and a coffee and took a seat at a table. The pie was oval-shaped and a light golden-brown in colour. I was quite hungry and so wasted little time admiring it –time to crack in. I took the first bite. The pastry was sturdy and buttery, though perhaps a bit underseasoned. Of course, pie pastry is largely functional and there to complement the filling. But it should also be sufficiently seasoned on its own to ensure that every bite satisfies.

The meat itself was a conventional (or, traditional) filling of minced meat. The meat seemed to be of pretty good quality, without any gristle or other undesirables. The flavour was all very mild. I would have liked a bit more punch — for it to be a bit beefier, with a richer gravy, and with a bit more seasoning. But, all in all, this was an adequate and satisfying pie experience, washed down with a milky coffee.

Batehaven Bakehouse is otherwise a fairly conventional country bakery, with a variety of pies and other baked goods to pick from. The range and prices all seemed reasonable and there sufficient seating in store to make for an enjoyable pitstop. A fine option if visiting the south coast.

I found myself in Albury for my last pie of the year. Initially, there was disappointment–my number one choice was closed (not too surprising given the time of the year). So my companion and I charted a course to an alternative and duly made our way to Hot Bake.

We got there relatively late in the day and the options were limited accordingly (a positive sign insofar as turnover is concerned). Having made enquiries about what was available, I settled upon the plain Meat Steak Pie ($7), as well as a flat white to accompany it. We took a seat in the seating area outside and I got stuck in.

The pie was oval and a good size. It looked structurally sound, with a sturdy base, and was brown and flaky on top. So far, so good. But what of taste? I took my first bite.

The pastry was plain but that was no problem–it was a fine accompaniment for the well-seasoned meat and gravy. This was, of course, a mince meat pie. There was some gristle but no major issues. The quality of meat was most acceptable. And there was no problems with flavour–again, the dark brown filling was well-seasoned (very important), with a hint of pepper. There was some iron notes with the smell and taste of the meat. I bought a plain steak mince pie and a plain steak mince pie was what I got.

Looking back on other pies from 2023, the price was on the higher side. However, the $7 got me a most substantial pie, certainly a meal more than a snack. I was most satisfied with the expierence.

Hot Bake sells a range of pies and the other usual baked goods. It’s situated in a pleasant enough part of Albury and there appears to be two other locations nearby–one in Wodonga and another in Lavington. My notes say ‘bathroom’–I haven’t a clue what this is a reference to, as about a month has passed since I went but I can’t remember anything negative so can only assume I went to the bathroom and it was fine. Anyway, Hot Bake is perfectly pleasant and, most importantly, was open when I went.

Another day, another long road trip. On this occasion I was in the vicinity of Gundagai at around lunchtime and thought I might stop for a bite. Some prior research had identified the Gundagai Bakery had a decent enough reputation. Not only that, but it is apparently quite old–the internet advises it originally opened in 1864 and may be Australia’s oldest working bakery. But how are the pies?

I strode on in and surveyed the situation. Pies available–very good, very good. There was, however, no list of pies, nor an indication of how much they cost. Free pies–not bad, not bad. Alas, that was not to be–there was some sort of monitor which would flash up the different kinds of products. I got a quick preview of the pies and decided I would keep it simply and go for the ‘Plain Meat Pie’ ($5.15–I also bought an iced coffee milk beverage, so I had to enquire about the precise price of the pie. The small child serving me kindly obliged.) It took a moment for any of the staff to become free. As I’ve already mentioned, one was a small child. She was struggling to put some plastic lid over a cake. Anyway, she eventually sorted it, with the assistance of the customer, and attention turned to me. Slight hiccup with the payment–they had a sticker suggesting they accepted American Express, yet this turned out to be nothing less than a bald-faced lie. Oh well. A tap of the Mastercard later and I was off and racing.

I say racing–between the time I entered and got the thing, the outside seating had all been taken. So I started wandering around aimlessly until I arrived at a park. The seating options were uninspiring, so I just sat on the grass–aka nature’s seat. My tush cushioned by mother gaia, I got cracking.

The pie was oval, the pastry soft when I touched it, but not undercooked. I did caution myself about structural integrity issues that might emerge. The pie was warm, but not hot. The pastry was enticingly flaky on top. I didn’t much care for sitting on the grass, in fact, and had places to be, so I was quick to get it down my gob.

Before I had entirely snaffled it, I took note of various aspects. The pastry was a bit understeasoned and bland but not offensive. The structural issues ultimately didn’t emerge, no pie was spilled this day. The meat was your straightforward mince filling swimming in gray. The meat seemed fairly good quality, no gristle to be found, and had a beefy (shocking, I know), irony character. There was a hint of pepper but nothing too eccentric. Flavour-wise, the gravy was quite nice, but it tasted as if it was slightly over-seasoned with beef stock, it was a bit too much. But much better than being under. The pie was a nice size, though that didn’t stop me from finishing it in a matter of moments. Ultimately, a bit of a basic offering and nothing special, but it hit the spot before I hit the road.

Ultimately a satisfying experience. I am intrigued by the increase in the price of pies–from recent efforts, this seems to be about right at the lower end of the pie price spectrum, albeit still more than what I recall form years gone by. Anyway, I just mention that in passing, not to whinge about coin.

Gundagai Bakery is certainly an old bakery on an unassuming, pleasant street in Gundagai. It has the usual fare on offer, including victoria sponge cake that is evidently difficult for small children to package. A decent enough, standard country town bakery. Won’t set your world on fire, but they do have pies, so there’s that.

The drive back from a trip to the Snowy Mountains in the first week of winter brought the question of where to make a pitstop. I took note of the opportunity to attempt a revisit to the Bredbo Pie Shop, hoping that this time would be more successful than last when the absence of pie resulted in a longer drive to Cooma. My companions empathetically acquiesced.

It was therefore pleasing to see on arrival there were plenty of pies of offer. After noting the renovations that had taken place since the previous brief visit and making use of the facilities, I went to the counter and opted for the straightforward Beef Pie ($6), the other members of my party procuring a spinach triangle and quiche.

Presentationally, the pie fit the bill–golden-brown on top, a nice shape and size, of seemingly sturdy construction, pleasant aromas wafting into my nostrils. This was most certainly an attractive pie. I cracked in.

Ah, the alluring golden-brown pastry. This did well for texture–it was crispy and flaky, and also a bit crumbly and buttery, all the while maintaining structural integrity and avoiding overpowering the filling. But as it went on, I considered that a touch more seasoning was required for the pastry to sing.

I soon pierced the pastry and eagerly commenced with the filling, which was the typical beef mince in a gravy. This filling had no complexity (not that I expected it to)–it was a mild beef flavour profile. This was all well and good, and the meat seemed of reasonable quality too. But unfortunately it really was the filling that let the pie down. It was underseasoned and, more worringly, texturally strange. The mince had a fine texture and grittiness to it that was rather distracting and posed an obstacle to sensory pleasure. This is a problem in what was a straightforward, plain, somewhat bland pie that was already underseasoned. There’s nothing at all wrong with a bog standard beef mince pie–done well, and your author will have no complaints. But perhaps the plainness is itself a curse, any shortcomings becoming magnified in the absence of other elements. That was the case here. And while simplicity is fine, I would’ve liked a bit more heartiness from the gravy.

Unfortunately, my companions were similarly underwhelmed by the triangle and quiche.

Bredbo Pie Shop sells a variety of pies and other baked goods, including selling frozen products to bake at home. All in all, my visit was a bit of a disappointment (though not terrible by any means), exacerbated by the level of anticipation in finally making the trip. Hopefully, this was just a blip as it’s a pleasant enough shop in a nice location. The facilities were decent.

Courtesy of a friend, I came into possession towards the end of last year of a pair of frozen pies from Bourke Street Bakery. Said pies were deposited in my freezer until an opportune moment might arise. On a weekend just passed, such an opportunity did indeed arise–the aforementioned friend joining me for lunch.

The pies in question were labelled as Beef Brisket Pies ($7.50 in-store price per pie) though a perusal of their website indicates that these are in fact Beef Brisket, Red Wine & Mushroom pies, a fact which makes sense of the evaluation to come. I popped them in the oven for about 35 minutes on 180 degrees celsius per the instructions, taking them out when burnished on its poppy seed-dotted top, a lovely aroma wafting from the oven. Well done me.

The pie was a sight to behold on top but unfortunately a bit under on the bottom and sides, a downside that would substantially affect structural integrity. Nevertheless, we forged on. The pastry was delicious, rich and buttery but not overwhelming in any sense.

For filling, there was the chunks of brisket, swimming in a tomatoe-y gravy, bits of onion and mushroom there as well. The meat was good quality and tender and the ratio of meat to gravy enhanced both. The gravy was on the lighter side, with tomato and red wine notes clearly coming through. The filling was all wonderfully seasoned. Although those structural issues meant it was a bit messy, there was no issues with flavour.

A very enjoyable gourmet pie that came up lovely baked at home after a couple of months in the freezer (though I really should have checked the underside before deciding it was done). My companion was equally pleased.

I understand Bourke Street Bakery has a number of venues in the Sydney area selling a wide range of baked goods. Based on this experience, I may very well venture to one next time I’m in Sydney.

En route to Melbourne, I decided to take a pitstop at Holbrook after three or so hours of driving. It was a hot day and I was hungry. I had planned this all–of course–and was therefore unsurprised to find that Holbrook had a bakery wherein I would find a pie.

I strode up to the Holbrook Bakery and dispensed with the COVID formalities before entering. Unlike my most recent pie visit, here I was immediately met with almost too many choices. While the ‘plain pie’ sounded very appetising, I decided instead to procure a Steak and Pepper Pie ($6.00). I also ordered a cappucino and soon enough walked over to the nearby park/submarine exhibition and set myself up on one of the benches.

For those not in the know, Holbrook is named for a British submarine commander and features rather prominently along its main street a submarine (HMAS Otway) as well as a submarine museum and various other submarine faf. Holbrook was previously named ‘Germanton’ before being renamed in 1915 for reasons too dissimilar to those that explain the British throne is presently occupied by a member of the House of Windsor as opposed to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Anyway, the point is there’s a submarine there.

I took the pie out of the brown paper bag in which the store attendant had lovingly placed it, and got cracking with the business of scoffing it down my mouth hole. The pie was golden, looking neither under nor over done–promising. Flecks of pepper on its top gave a hint of what was on offer beneath. And so I eagerly went in for a munch.

The pastry was unremarkable but in a good way. Sturdy, savoury, inoffensive–a fine complement to the meaty goodness. In this case I was met with a conventional minced beef filling swimming in gravy, though with the occasional chunk and slice of onion. There was a clear peppery hit–this pie clearly ticked that box. The pepper was noticeable but not overpowering, which is what I look for in this kind of pie. The filling was quite tasty–mild but well-seasoned with a hint of sweetness to accompany that mild heat and spice that the pepper brings. It fell down a bit with the meat itself–the mix of mince and chunky bits didn’t really come off all that well, as it felt a bit more like an accident than any deliberate choice. Additionally, the quality seemed a bit lacking, with some fatty bits and gristle.

All said, a very decent country pie. Those question marks over ‘quality’ can’t overcome the fact that I came for a yummy pie and got exactly that. I washed it down with my cappucino, took a stroll around the submarine, and hit the road, the ‘spot’ having well and truly been ‘hit’.

Holbrook Bakery is a fairly standard country bakery with a wonderful range of pies to choose from, as well as the other usual fare from such an establishment. This and the submarine make it a fine choice for a short visit.

T’was a Saturday morning in Spring and with the sun shining and interstate travel a possibility, I ventured to Yass for pie.

The venue was Clementine Bakery, a spot which my companion had scouted out and previously expressed an interest in patronising. We parked the car and jauntily hopped our way to the shopfront. Donning our masks and eventually checking in via the Service NSW app (notwithstanding the almost non-existent phone reception), we stepped inside…

I took a look at what was on offer–a fairly limited range of fancier looking pies. After a few minutes of internal battle, I settled on the Steak Diane Pie ($8.00). My companion chose the Chicken, Leek and Bacon and we set ourselves up outside on one of the available tables.

The pie was quite dark, a bronzed brown, dark, burnished–and plump. Its top was adorned with sesame seeds–aromatic from their roasting. It was late morning and I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet so without delay, I took my first bite.

The first thing to notice was the pastry–it was flaky, not at all chewy. Perhaps a bit under-seasoned. Meanwhile, it had an overtly ‘roasted’ flavour to it–perhaps a bit too roasted. It wasn’t bad by any means but it introduced some unwanted bitterness.

As for the filling–I was treated to big chunks of beef, lubricated by a light sauce with onion and tomato tones. This pie eschewed gravy, bigging up the beefy chunks instead. Indeed, I would have appreciated a bit more gravy–something bold to really bring it all together. It didn’t help that the meat was a bit fibrous and dry in parts, not as juicy and falling-apart as is needed for this style of pie. That said, it did have a tasty beefy flavour profile, on the mellower side, and the meat was generally quite tender. But it would have benefited for some more seasoning and it was a touch too sweet.

As far as steak diane goes–I haven’t the foggiest what that entails but it tasted yummy all the same. A scrumptious morsel, just a shame it didn’t reach the lofty heights that it could have.

My companion’s selection was ‘very good’, the chicker being ‘chunky–tender and delicious’. Notably, the pastry was much lighter in colour and seemingly worked better than did mine.

After this and a coffee, we went back for dessert. Being mindful of my wasteline, I went for a petite Portugese Custard Tart. Now this was something special–crispy, flaky, delicious layers of puff pastry encasing a soft, cold, creamy custard, sweet and subtle with a hint of vanilla. Methinks the sweeter pastries are the way to go here. The perfect way to finish our visit.

Clementine Bakery is a cute little bakery on the main street in Yass. They do a whole range of baked goods, with a fine selection of sweet pastries and breads. Their pie selection is on the smaller side and a bit exotic. Well worth a visit if in the area.

T’was a cool and chilly Tuesday. We were trundling down the Hume Highway. A pandemic meant that we were travelling in the opposite direction to the original plan hatched weeks earlier. But, no matter! When life gives you a Melbourne lockdown, go to Sydney! Aside from anything else, it provides the perfect excuse to stop somewhere in the Southern Highlands for a pie.

The Southern Highlands of NSW has for some time now spruiked the Month of June as ‘Pie Time’ and appear to have nominated 1 June as National Pie Day. As the fates would have it, this coincided quite wonderfully with my travel plans. And so it was that my companion and I had the opportunity to celebrate the day the right way.

But where to stop? So many options! On this occasion we decided to go with Flour Water Salt in Bowral. I opted for the Chunky Beef and Red Wine Pie ($6.70, I think–I took a photo of the prices but on reviewing them later there was a light fixture in the way. Oops.). We took a seat at a table outside.

The pie came out, an appealing golden brown. Its top was puffy and flaky, heat and steam emanating from it on this cold day, the first day of winter. I eagerly got into it. The pastry was rich and buttery with a nice chew to it. This was my first bite, no meat to be had–but it revealed an appetising beef and wine aroma, a preview of what was to come.

I would have inhaled the pie if I could have but the heat within prevented that. The filling was comprised of chunky steak and a thick gravy. The meat was tender but could have been moreso. The gravy had a strong tomato quality to it. The wine was noticeable but not overpowering. Otherwise, it was fairly mild without much in the way of herbs or spices. All in all, it was reasonably well seasoned and quite yummy. But the real star of this pie was the pastry. Its appearance, scent, taste, and texture–it was wonderfully flaky on top–were all very impressive and took this pie to the next level.

My companion procured a Vegan Aloo Matar Pie ($6.20). The pie was good but needed something to cut through–some zing or tang, to deal with the carb-on-carb phenomenon of pastry and potato. Nevertheless, vegan options are always welcome (and often hard to come by). This was one of two vegan pies available when we visited.

Flour Salt Water is a cute little bakery on the main street of Bowral (Bong Bong Street). They sell a small selection of pies and sausage rolls alongside gourmet bread and other bakery treats. We also picked up a lemon tart for dessert and a loaf of sourdough bread for the week ahead. Both were delicious. As well as their Bowral establishment, they have stores in Kiama and Milton (both NSW), sell bake-at-home items (inc. pies) and deliver. A high-quality pie stop.

I set off on an Easter long weekend to the mountains to rest and refresh. En route, my companion and I took a luncheon pitstop at Nuggets Crossing in Jindabyne.

My research had indicated that the Sundance Bakery was a fine place to get a bite to eat. More importantly, my companion had called ahead and confirmed that it would be open on Good Friday. So I sauntered in, took a look at what was on offer, and decided upon the Chunky Steak Pie ($5.70) and an iced coffee to wash it down on this warm, sunny day in Autumn.

The immediate thing to note was the unorthodox oblong shape of this well-sized pie. The pastry was light in colour–mostly blonde with just a bit of brown on top. and its light colour.

Biting into the pie confirmed that, in this instance, looks were not deceiving. The pastry was clearly a bit underdone, having a raw-ish, doughy flavour. It didn’t ruin the pie but it certainly let it down.

The filling was comprised of large chunks of steak (all pies were apparently chunky) with gravy. The steak was indeed chunky. It was largely tender but occasionally dry and chewy with a fibrous texture. Most importantly, it was underseasoned. The gravy picked things up–it was a standard flavour profile, uncomplicated with a hint of pepper. But it couldn’t quite make up for the underseasoned steak and the two components weren’t as blended together as they could have been.

The pie was underwhelming but not unpleasant. It was a good size for the price but just didn’t hit the mark with some obvious shortcomings. Hopefully this was just an off day.

In any event, Sundance Bakery is a nice stop on the way to, or return from, a trip to Mount Kosciuszko. It sells a range of pies and other baked goods. The iced coffee was quite pleasant too.

On the way back from a coast weekend, I convinced my car buddies to drive back via Ulladulla in order to make a visit to Hayden’s Pies. This particular establishment had been on my list for a while, having been highly-recommended by a colleague.

It wasn’t much to look at on arrival, snuggled between a hardware store on one side and an auto parts store on the other. But what of the pies?

On entering, I was met with a vast array of options. There were all the usuals–steak, chunky steak, steak and pepper, steak and mushroom, etc. etc. There were also some less conventional pies on offer, including a crocodile pie. But on this occasion I couldn’t go past the weekend special of Steak Diane & Potato Galette ($6.70).

The pie was open-faced, adorned with a layer of golden-brown, crispy potatoes. Otherwise, the pie was a bit of a mystery, its contents unseen, sitting in a foil tray that obscured even a view of the pastry. I would have to tuck in to find out.

But before I could do this I had to find a patch of land on which to eat the pie. The seating at Hayden’s Pies was off limits due to pandemic-related restrictions (on order of the Ulladulla Police, no less) and there didn’t appear to be any nearby public seating. My efforts at eating-on-the-go were thwarted, structural integrity issues making clear the reason for the foil. But eventually, after much searching on this hot day, I found a bench on the side of the road and sat down, the delay adding to the aforementioned desire to tuck in.

The pie was initially tricky to eat but once I got going I was fine. The crispy, golden potato slices were complemented by chunky steak in a tasty gravy. The gravy was a bit thinner than typical and I suppose this contributed to the softness of the pastry underneath. Its flavour was mild and mellow, seasoned-well with a bit of pepper but without a punch. The meat was good quality and tender. Did it evoke ‘Steak Diane’? Upon looking up what that was meant to entail, it definitely had some buttery richness. Amongst everything else, the pastry was unremarkable but that didn’t matter–I wolfed it down in no time.

Hayden’s Pies sells a wide variety of pies and other pastries, including vegetarian options (though no vegan ones spotted). This includes all the favourites, a few unusual offerings, and daily and weekly specials. The price-point is reasonable for what is on offer. Hayden’s Pies may not be the most picturesque place, nor presently a venue to eat the pies, but it more than makes up in its pies.