Unlikely ingredient found in Ballarat's Best Pie Competition winner for 2024
The best pie in Ballarat has been crowned, and it's not the typical meat-and-gravy favourite you'd expect from the Victorian city.
Ballarat's Best Pie Competition saw 28 delicious creations from local venues battle it out for the top spot in 2024, with 23 savoury pies and just five sweet options in the mix.
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The best pie in Ballarat has been crowned and it's not the typical meat-and-gravy favourite you'd expect. Supplied
But it was one of those sweet options that impressed judges the most, earning it the title of Ballarat's Best Pie Grand Prize Winner, and that was Itinerant Spirits' Wild Orchard Apple and Vansetter Vodka Pie.
Described as a "sweet apple and vodka pie served warm with a creamy pine nettle ice-cream", most Aussies probably wouldn't expect to find vodka in the best pie in Ballarat.
But it makes sense given Itinerant Spirits is first and foremost a distillery.
Itinerant Spirits: Wild Orchard Apple and Vansetter Vodka Pie – A sweet apple and vodka pie served warm with a creamy pine nettle ice-cream. Supplied
Judges Tim Bone, of MasterChef Australia fame, and food writer Richard Cornish, loved the sweet treat made with vodka from the local Ballarat distillery and gave it top honours at the award ceremony over the weekend.
Itinerant Spirits' Wild Orchard Apple and Vansetter Vodka Pie also took home the Best Sweet Pie title, but it wasn't the only winner.
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321 Cafe: Lamb Shank with Mustard Mash Potato Pie – Slow-cooked lamb shank with a medley of veggies and herbs, topped with creamy mustard mash potato. Supplied
Second place overall went to a Lamb Shank with Mustard Mash Potato Pie from 321 Cafe in Ballarat, while Mum's Curry Laksa Pie from Flying Chillies claimed third place.
1816 Bakehouse's Beef Filet MignonPie, made with "beef ragu with sauteed mushrooms and streaky bacon, encased in house-made garlic butter pastry", was declared the best bakery pie.
1816 Bakehouse: Beef Filet MignonPie – Succulent beef ragu with sauteed mushrooms and streaky bacon, encased in house-made garlic butter pastry. Supplied
The Best Hero of Local Produce title went to The Urban Shepherd from Peasant, which is made with "layers of sliced potato, slow-cooked lamb, cheese fondue, potato puree and goat cheese baked in a shortcrust pastry".
This is the second year that Ballarat's Best Pie Competition has run and the delicious fun isn't over yet.
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Peasant: The Urban Shepherd – Layers of sliced potato, slow-cooked lamb, cheese fondue, potato puree and goat cheese baked in a shortcrust pastry. Supplied
Local foodies and visitors to Ballarat can sample the winning pies on a self-guided "Ballarat Pie Trail" tour through August, with maps available from the Ballarat Information Centre and online. More information can be found here.
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