King of the pie

NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Awards winner Patrick Lam of Patrick's Pies Café and Bakery Tauranga with his wife Lay Phan Ho.

There's heavy debate on whether the classic savoury treat should be consumed with a dollop of tomato sauce or just by itself, but there's no question who is New Zealand's pie making king.

Tauranga pie maker Patrick Lam is carving his way through the pie world by creating award winning pies that you want to savour with every bite.

On Tuesday night Patrick, from Patrick's Pies Café and bakery, won his sixth Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Award with a Roast Pork and Creamy Mushroom pie in the Gourmet Meat category.

'It's been amazing and exciting to win, we didn't think we would win again, so it was a very big surprise to win another Supreme,” says Patrick.

'Every year we try to work harder at improving our pastry and our filling, so there is a balance of flavours.”

He says last year they missed out on the supreme award, so they were determined to do even better this year.

'We choose the Roast Pork and Creamy Mushroom pie because it won quite a few awards, so we wanted to take the same ingredients and make it even better.”

Patrick won a cheque for $7,500 and the coveted New Zealand Bakels Supreme Award Trophy, as well as $1000 for each of the three Gold Awards he has won.

The Award was announced in Auckland on July 31 at a 1950s themed gala dinner attended by bakers from all over New Zealand keen to find out who among them would win the top accolade.

NZ Bakels managing director Brent Kersel says, 'This really is pie-making history – it's a huge achievement. In the 22 years of The Bakels New Zealand Pie Awards, Patrick has won the most Supreme Awards and he deserves every single one of them.

'He has come back year after year and he just keeps on getting better and better.”

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