Pies win gold for Mt Barker

Mt Barker Country Bakery cooked up a storm at the national Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition in Sydney recently, winning 10 gold medals; its best result ever.

Picture by Laurie Benson: Mt Barker Country Bakery owners Christine Porter and Mick Dumbrell with some of their gold medal products

Michael Dumbrell, who owns and runs the bakery with his wife Christine Porter, said they won gold for their sweet chilli chicken, Thai chicken, chicken carbonara, lamb’s fry and bacon, surf and turf, lamb and roasted vegetable, pork belly with rice, garlic prawn with rice, chilli mussel and roasted potato and leek pies.

Mr Dumbrell said the bakery won a medal for every pie they entered.

“It’s huge, they judge hundreds and hundreds of pies for four days,” he said.

“There were no major awards given out in WA, but we certainly did really well this year compared to most other years we’ve been in.”

Mr Dumbrell said the surf and turf and the garlic prawn and rice were the bakery’s flagship pies.

“Last year we did get the outright prize for the garlic prawn and rice pie,” he said.

“I think if you go to a restaurant and have your favourite meal, why not put it in a pie?”

Mt Barker beat their Great Southern rivals the Denmark Bakery who bagged five gold medals.

“They’re a bit sore this year but I don’t want to go into that,” Mr Dumbrell said.

“Usually most times they’re well ahead of us.”

So what is the secret to an award winning pie?

“Just good quality ingredients and good quality pastry, and a love to eat them.”

Got a story? Email keir.tunbridge@albanyadvertiser.com