I ventured to Hobart, Tasmania (prev: Van Diemen’s Land) last month. There, I did a great many things, including pie-consumption.

I set out with my companion early on our first full day in Hobart, aiming for an early brekky to be swiftly followed by a visit to Mount Wellington and thence to MONA. En route, we spied a curious establishment spruiking ‘fancy pies’ and purporting to operate on a 24/7 basis.

But alas, we were on course for another venue. But alas, alas! Said other venue was chokkas! Thus we backtracked to Pilgrim Pies to see what it was all about.

On entering, we were treated to their display of pies which did look fancy. I opted for the Beef, Rosemary, and Pinot Pie ($12).

The pie was handsome, a golden-brown (reddish-brown, on reflection), and flaky. It’s flaky appearance was exceeded by it’s flakiness on biting into it–at least the top casing. The top was comprised of multiple thin, flaky layers; the bottom was thick and rich, very buttery, like a dessert pastry. This aspect of the pastry, whilst clearly good quality, was a bit overwhelming.

The meat was tender and juicy, accompanied by a subtle gravy. The flavour was a winner but it was a bit underseasoned and there was a clear ratio issue–too much pastry, not enough filling.

Meanwhile, my companion went for the Huevos Rancheros Pie ($8) comprised of eggs, beans, and capsicum.

The comments on this pie were that the flavours were nice when they came through (clear notes of spice and smoke) and the pastry was very good. But as with my pie, the rich pastry overwhelmed the filling.

Pilgrim Pies was my sole pie experience in Tasmania and was well worth it. I can confirm the pies are fancy. They also sell a range of sweet pastries and coffee. I recommend.