By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Get ready to crust the experts - Ballarat’s Best Pie for 2025 has been officially served and it’s a showstopper that’s sure to have pie lovers everywhere licking their lips.
Mrs Browne Bakes’ Raspberry Goldfields Cookie Pie, available at Naomi & I, has taken the top spot in a fiercely competitive bake-off featuring 36 pies from the region’s finest bakeries, cafes and restaurants. This pie is worth every crumb!
The annual Ballarat’s Best Pie awards, now in its third delicious year, were hosted at the lively Itinerant Spirits, with MasterChef Australia semi-finalist and Good Chef Bad Chef co-host Tim Bone taking centre stage as the charming MC.
The judging panel was a star-studded lineup, including Tim himself, food writer Richard Cornish, Melbourne restaurant critic Kara Monssen, acclaimed Peruvian-born Chef Alejandro Saravia and Ballarat Deputy Mayor Councillor Ben Taylor. Needless to say, the competition was no pie in the sky.
The Cream of the Crop
Claiming the grand prize, Mrs Browne Bakes’ Raspberry Goldfields Cookie Pie is a masterclass in sweet indulgence. Imagine a luscious raspberry filling, bursting with tangy goldfields berries, nestled inside a double chocolate cookie shell, topped with white chocolate shards, crushed raspberries and a sprinkle of shimmering gold dust.
It’s a showstopper that’s not just a feast for the palate but a feast for the eyes - a true jewel in Ballarat’s pie crown.
Taking the runner-up spot is the Peach and Portuguese Custard Pie from Lydiard General, a warm, buttery delight filled with silky custard and poached peaches lightly dusted with icing sugar. The third placed Apple Sty Pie at Mondegreen Café is no slouch either: tender maple-glazed apples tucked into a bacon fat shortcrust, crowned with maple candied bacon and served alongside creamy maple bacon ice cream.
Savoury Sensations
It’s not all about sweet treats. Savoury pies brought their A-game with the Lechon Paksiw pie from Hotel Canberra’s Stables Café & Bar taking home Best Savoury Pie and the prize for Brilliantly Unexpected Pie.
Picture roasted Western Plains pork, slow-cooked in aromatic vinegar and bay leaves, all wrapped in crisp pastry with a pork crackling crumble and banana leaf finish. It’s a porky masterpiece that really packs a punch.
Other standouts included Turret Bakehouse’s rich Beef Rendang pie, The Shared Table’s Feral Pie with wild venison and mushrooms in a fragrant red wine sauce and the smoky delights of Not Your Grandma’s Pantry’s barbeque duck char siu and pineapple tart pie.
Ballarat’s bakeries have truly outdone themselves proving that when it comes to pies, they take the proverbial cake.
A Slice of Ballarat’s Best
Pie aficionados can go on a true pie pilgrimage, sampling the award-winning beauties and all the other mouthwatering entries across Ballarat’s best venues. Grab a Ballarat’s Best Pie map from the local information centre or download it online at ballaratsbestpie.com.au and get ready to crumb and explore.
This year also sees the introduction of the People’s Choice Pie, where you can cast your vote for your favourite flaky delight by scanning a QR code at participating venues or voting online. The stakes are high, with voters going into the draw to win a luxury Ballarat escape valued at more than $1500. Now that’s what we call having your pie and eating it too!
The Sum of Pie
Ballarat’s Best Pie is about community spirit, innovation and a love for baking that runs deep. It’s a celebration of local talent rising to the occasion and pushing the boundaries of what a pie can be - whether it’s a sweet sensation or a savoury showstopper.
So, whether you’re a flaky crust fanatic, a filling connoisseur or just here for the buttery base, Ballarat’s pies this year areproof that the best things in life really do come in pastry packages.
