Not your ordinary pub fare: Sydney chef creates $12k pie

The humble meat pie is an everyday Australian staple, but one Sydney pub is taking it to a new, gourmet level - with a $12,000 price tag.

The Lord Dudley Hotel in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Woollahra has introduced the pie to celebrate online coupon business Groupon’s two millionth customer. 

Instead of the indeterminate beef mince and gristle of modest servo and footy options, no expense is spared when it comes to ingredients in what’s said to be the world’s most expensive pie. 

Two cuts of David Blackmore’s premium wagyu beef are used – eye fillet and brisket – and two whole Western Australian rock lobsters go into each pie. 

Organic heirloom vegetables are sourced from across Australia, cooked down with butter and complemented with Italian porcini mushrooms and black truffle. 

For extra decadence, Penfold’s Grange is added to the filling for richness and genuine gold leaf is sprinkled over the finished product.  

Chef Nathan Flint made two of the pies for the TODAY Show this morning and said around three weeks of trial and error was needed to get the balance right. 

He said no customer had actually ordered the pie yet, although a competition is being run to award lucky diners a serving.

Despite the extravagant options inside, he recommended a healthy dollop of tomato sauce to go with the costly pastry.