29 September 2014

Best of Canberra - Pies

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There have been two occasions when I have truly missed the greatness of the Aussie pie. On one of my first dates with my husband, we went along to a Chelsea match and he bought a couple of pies (…and they say romance is dead). It had been microwaved which to my mind is an unforgivable pie sin, but was also made up of a fairly tasteless gravy and bits of what tasted more like old erasers grated up than anything resembling meat. The second was when I sampled the great and famed ‘pie and mash’ in a South London pie shop. The pie was not only floating in a slick of what was referred to as liquor (they say liquor, I say dishwater), but rose to the lofty height of about 1.5cm and contained not a great deal other than a jelly like gravy. Yuk!

When I first brought my husband ‘home’ to Australia, he had a list of tasks to achieve during his time here. That list included sampling a chunky steak pie from Brothers Oven. He nearly passed out and went to pie heaven.

So, this week we’re breaking out the big guns. Who makes the best pie in Canberra? Judgement will be made on a steak pie, none of this cheese and bacon business.

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I can’t believe that U&Co Cafe at Kaleen hasn’t yet been mentioned. Pie&Co operate out of the cafe and they do THE best pies I’ve ever tasted, and I consider myself a bit of a buff! I’ve had the lamb, pulled pork, steak and peas, and a chicken and vegetable and they’re all delicious. They sometimes run out before lunchtime but I think Russell is making more now. The pastry is light and buttery. Russell the chef has entered the Great Aussie Pie Competition. No I don’t work for them, but I’m a very happy customers!

I, too, love the pies baked by Sebastian who sells under the business name of Gum Tree Pies at the Capital Region Farmer’s Markets on a Saturday morning. My partner and I often buy a box of them to keep in the freezer… great for lunch or dinner when you don’t feel like cooking up a storm!

moneypenny261211:01 pm 03 Oct 14

astrojax said :

Squeezle said :

Gum Tree Pies, Capital Region Farmer’s Market at Epic on Saturdays. Steak and red wine!!

seconded

+2

Steak and Pepper is my favourite Gum Tree Pie, the best I’ve ever eaten. I also like the Steak & Red Wine.

Technically, Gum Tree Pies is Victorian (from Yackandandah), but Canberra is their biggest market.

I recently moved to Melbourne, and it is harder to get Gum Tree Pies here than in Canberra.

Gum Tree Pies only visit Melbourne once a month at the Bundoora Farmers Market (which is miles away from where I now live). This surprised me a bit since there are farmers’ markets all over suburban Melbourne these days. Instead Gum Tree Pies visits Canberra almost every week.

While this is kind of impressive for Canberra, it also makes me sad 🙁

You guys don’t know how lucky you are!

Holden Caulfield12:20 pm 01 Oct 14

Genie said :

Can I vote for Dobinson’s as having the most over rated pies in Canberra.

So many people recommend pies from there and I find them WOEFUL !

Their Mexican pie is awesome!

John Moulis said :

It’s not strictly Canberra, but Coles at Riverside Plaza Qbn is the only place in the region which sells Garlo’s Pies. You have to heat them at home but they are by far the best pies I have tasted.

Coles Jamison also sell them, they’re in a refrigeration unit at the end of one of the aisles. I sampled some recently and thought they were decent for a supermarket pie.

Will have to second (or third) Gunna Doo. I had a chunky steak pie there last year and it was very good.

Oooh yes, definitely agree with the gentleman at Epic Markets, oh my goodness so LOVELY; the pies AND the man who makes them 🙂

Third the steak and redwine but also OMGS, favourite is the Lamb and mint sauce. Nothing will compare.

I haven’t been in a while though, This has reminded me that I need to stock my freezer, does anyone know which is going to be his ‘on week’ (I seem to recall he only comes every second week.)

Dojo bakery in Braidwood. Their lamb and fenugreek pies are a thing of beauty. Their steak and red wine pies likewise.

Not a pie shop but Pork Barrel pies are the best!!!!!

Crust at Fyshwick Food Markets… delicious!

I buy my pies from kitchen revival – a private caterer – he makes any pie you fancy. My last order was osso bucco in garlic and valpolacella, mama mia day was so good!!!!

Antagonist said :

I can barely look sideways at a pie since getting a serious case of food poisoning about 3 years ago. Does that mean I have become a terrorist now?

It would almost be impossible to get food poisoning from a commercial meat pie. Was the meat pie confirmed as the source?

It’s not strictly Canberra, but Coles at Riverside Plaza Qbn is the only place in the region which sells Garlo’s Pies. You have to heat them at home but they are by far the best pies I have tasted.

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

I don’t like pies…

Un-Australian comments such as these are likely being monitored by the authorities.

What is your position on vegemite? Think carefully before answering.

VYBerlinaV8_is_back3:33 pm 30 Sep 14

Genie said :

Can I vote for Dobinson’s as having the most over rated pies in Canberra.

So many people recommend pies from there and I find them WOEFUL !

Best pies for me are on the South Coast.

I don’t like pies, but Dobs does great french vanilla slices.

I can barely look sideways at a pie since getting a serious case of food poisoning about 3 years ago. Does that mean I have become a terrorist now?

Can I vote for Dobinson’s as having the most over rated pies in Canberra.

So many people recommend pies from there and I find them WOEFUL !

Best pies for me are on the South Coast.

Squeezle said :

Gum Tree Pies, Capital Region Farmer’s Market at Epic on Saturdays. Steak and red wine!!

seconded

Not strictly Canberra, but certainly better than anything I have ever found in Canberra:

1. Gunnadoo in Bungendore
2. Trappers in Braidwood

Holden Caulfield12:41 pm 30 Sep 14

Flute, again.

Gum Tree Pies, Capital Region Farmer’s Market at Epic on Saturdays. Steak and red wine!!

Madam Cholet12:02 pm 30 Sep 14

Postalgeek said :

Lamb and Mousaka at the Griffith Butchers. They were the best. But no longer.

I always found the taste of the pastry a bit odd at the Griffith Bakery.

I would nominate the bakery at Fyshwick markets – the one near Wiffens, not the Vietnamese bakery as I haven’t tried theirs. Price is good, fillings are not ungenerous which can often be a problem with meat pies and they have a range of flavours. They don’t stint on flavourings either. They also do really well priced family pies which I buy on occasion when we are there at the weekend.

Definitely think that one of the criteria when assessing a meat pie is the number of chunks of meat. The local bakery where I live often I think just passes the meat over the top of the pie rather than puts it inside!

James McMahon said :

Elaines Gourmet pie’s Dickson, the chunky steak and bacon is a favorite.

hmm, but you can’t eat the aluminum foil casing – pies need pastry all round, i rekkun…

Chisholm Bakery. Best pies in Canberra.

Lamb and Mousaka at the Griffith Butchers. They were the best. But no longer.

Does Bungendore count as ‘Canberra’? If so put me down for one vote for the Gunna Doo Bakery in that town.

James McMahon9:11 am 30 Sep 14

Elaines Gourmet pie’s Dickson, the chunky steak and bacon is a favorite.

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