An Ellerslie bakery new to the vegan cuisine scene has swept a vast majority of the awards up for grabs at the inaugural New Zealand Vegan Supreme Pie Awards.
Held in the green room at The Butcher's Son in Herne Bay Auckland’s Richoux Patisserie walked away with seven of the eight awards, including the Supreme Pie Award, at the event organised by the Vegan Society of Aotearoa New Zealand to coincide with World Vegan Day on Thursday 1 November.
In a blind taste testing the judging panel awarded Richoux pies top marks in the Vegan Steak and Vegan Cheese, Vegan Mince and Vegan Cheese, Vegan Chicken, Vegetable, Café Boutique, and Fruit categories — every category the bakery entered.
The final category, Gluten Free, was picked up by Albany bakery Pioneer Pies.
More than 30 companies throughout the country submitted 90 pies for the competition's first programme, established to acknowledge the current explosion in high quality vegan pie options offered by all types of New Zealand eateries.
The judging panel comprised internationally recognised chefs Gerrard O'Keefe (Hector's Restaurant, Heritage Hotels) and Josh Barlow (The Sugar Club, The Grove), as well as actor, writer, and producer Holly Shervey. The event was hosted at Auckland plant-based eatery The Butcher’s Son.
Vegan Society National Coordinator Amanda Sorrenson says the event was devised to give the Kiwi dietary staple a modern makeover, better reflecting this country’s growing trend in choosing healthier, more sustainable, fairer food options.
“Plant-based pies are going to be more and more popular as people cut down on their intake of animal products in future.”
Supreme Vegan Pie Awards 2018 results:
● Vegan Steak and Vegan Cheese: Richoux Patisserie
● Vegan Mince and Vegan Cheese: Richoux Patisserie
● Vegan Chicken: Richoux Patisserie
● Fruit Pie: Richoux Patisserie
● Café Boutique: Richoux Patisserie
● Vegetable: Richoux Patisserie
● Gluten Free: Pioneer Pies
● Plus a Supreme Pie Award: Richoux Patisserie (fruit pie)
For further details of the competition head to www.vegansociety.org.nz
Pictured above Helen Fletcher (left) and the vegan legend Phillipa Stevenson of Tart Bakery, an award-winning bakery in Grey Lynn.