As the biggest city in New Zealand, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Auckland has a plethora of bakeries and cafes to choose from. Weeding out those that stand out is quite a task, but here we’ve listed our picks that are the pinnacle of pie production.
At The Mustard Kitchen they supply pies for the millennial Kiwi. Instead of the bog standard (yet adored) mince and cheese or steak pies, you can pick up roast veggie and feta, steak, ale and cheese and other tweaked versions. If you’re a pie purist you may want to stay away, but if you want to be part of the pie renaissance then head on over a try one for yourself.
There are only a couple of parts to a pie. The filling and the pastry. The artists at the succinctly named Muzza’s Pies have concentrated on these two aspects and make pies with crunchy, flaky pastry and plentiful, high-quality filling. That’s all a pie consumer wants, and that’s exactly what they get. It’s a simple business model, but it works, and has done for years.
A tip of the cap for the excellent name we reckon. Just liked the Pied Piper, this bakery will have the customer dancing to their delicious tune. As pie shops go, these guys are the Rolls Royce / Tiffany’s / Rolex. A cream pie will set you back $65 NZD from The Pie Piper, but that includes the $10 NZD cost of the glass pie dish. That may seem like a lot, but as far as gifts go this is something a little different and a lot tasty.
The general consensus among locals that frequent this spot is that these guys and girls know how to make a pie. A true kiwi classic when it comes to pies is the mince and cheese, and this gaff has that number down like James Brown. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better example. They can also sort you out with a cracking coffee, which makes this bakery a great stop if you’re a bit late for work in the morning and need to grab a bit of breakfast Kiwi-style.
The name alludes to the fact that everything in the shop is made – you guessed it – from scratch. It’s a nice simple bit of advertising to be sure, and so are their pies. Simple perfection. Simply delicious. They do all sorts of scrumptious meals, and the interior of the bakery is modern and sleek. This level of professionalism transcends into their pies, so get in there and grab one for yourself.
Pioneer Pies have all the bases covered when it comes to pie-related needs. They serve all their pies in three different sizes (mini, regular and family size) for whatever occasion arises. They source their ingredients locally and – when possible – organically, which gives you a nice warm feeling as you tuck into one of their choice morsels. When it comes to flavour, their steak and mushroom is hailed on the pie grapevine as a premium example of a classic.
We finish our list with an award-winning bakery. The name should give you a clue that these guys mean business – you have to have a certain amount of self-confidence to go for a French sounding patisserie name – and boy do they deliver. They offer top-quality products for a great price, and have been doing so for over a decade. Whether you want a savoury treat or a specialty sweet then this is the place to go.
