Pie fans around the country have just one thing on their minds right now as entries open for the 26th Bakels NZ Supreme Awards. ‘My local bakery makes damn good pies, but could they win?’

Just thinking about those pies makes your mouth water, right? Well there are 45 awards up for grabs including highly commended, so tell your baker to check out pieawards.nz and enter.

NZ Bakels managing director, Brent Kersel says: “Last year we crowned our 25th Supreme winner and what a celebration that was. After the awards night we saw bakeries right across New Zealand seeing a huge boost in sales as a result of winning one of the other awards on the night. And we know that even bakeries that place within the top 10 see sales growth. That really sums up why we continue to hold the Pie Awards every year. Other sectors of hospitality receive recognition, and we’re here to make sure bakers earn some credit too. They feed this nation virtually every day from early morning, until in some cases, the early hours of the morning.

“So let’s celebrate the bakers, and the pie makers in cafes, lunch bars, catering services and restaurants. Provided they make their pies onsite they can enter. Maybe they buy in their pastry. That’s okay. They can enter the Café Boutique category and earn recognition with a ‘stand-out’ filling. But they’ve got to be in to win.”

There are 11 entry categories: Steak & Cheese; Steak & Gravy; Mince & Gravy; Mince & Cheese; Potato Top; Bacon & Egg; Chicken & Vegetable; Gourmet Meat; Vegetarian; Café Boutique; Commercial Wholesale, and Supreme.

Pie entries will go through their paces on Judging Day, July 25 and winners will be announced on July 30 at the Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards.

Here’s what Michelle Liddell of Chill Café in Whangamata had to say after she won the gold award in the Café Boutique category last year as a first time entrant: “We just thought we would enter and see how we go, but we didn’t think it would win us gold, that’s for sure. The impact on the business was absolutely massive.”

Entries close on June 27 at 5pm. It doesn’t cost anything to enter, but if your baker wins an award the response will be incredible.