The most unusual pie ‘Pyney the Pie Man’ has eaten this year
Updated . First published
Pyney the Pie Man has tasted hundreds if not thousands of pies, but he says 2026 has brought three of the most unusual flavours he’s ever come across.
The first is the HS ‘Kebab’ Pie by Metro One Pizza & Kebabs in Sydney, which Australia’s favourite pie influencer – real name Shaun Pyne – described as surprisingly juicy and full of flavour.
Kebab pie, anyone? Australia's favourite pie influencer has given his verdict. Pyney the Pie Man
The second is Nannas Bubble and Squeak Pie made with roast and veggies at The Bakehouse in Canberra, which uses an old family recipe to create the incredible filling.
And finally, there’s the Brisket Cheeseburger Pie by Sutcliffe Meats in Newcastle. You can read all about them at Pyney’s Pie Reviews.
The HS ‘Kebab’ Pie, created by Oktay ‘Ox’ Sahin at Metro One Pizza & Kebabs, an institution in Ashfield in Sydney’s inner west, has a particularly Aussie origin story.
Sahin told nine.com.au he took inspiration from the shop’s most popular menu item, the Halal Snack Pack (HSP).
The pie includes layers of mozzarella cheese, kebab beef, barbecue sauce, more cheese, kebab chicken, chili sauce, a final layer of cheese and garlic sauce on top.
One HSP Pie costs $10, which Pyney declared too cheap considering “this beast weighed in at around 368 grams and was jam-packed full”.
When Sahin’s parents Ali and Angie opened the store 26 years ago, their biggest seller was the traditional kebab, which gave way to the snack packs including kebab meat and fries, which Sahin wanted to give an Aussie twist by turning it into a pie.
Pyney the Pie man has sampled some unusual flavours in 2026. iStockphoto
“Traditionally, the most popular combination is chips, cheese, chicken and beef meat, and chili barbecue and garlic sauce, so that inspiration was carried over into the HS Pie,” he said.
“I was thinking maybe all of Australia would fall in love with mixing Turkey’s signature dish and Australia’s signature dish, pies and kebabs, in one place.”
Amazingly, Sahin has been cooking each release of HS pies in a Kmart air fryer that cost him “around $100”.
The only problem is they aren’t available year-round.
“I normally bust out like 10 or 15 of them, and they always get sold out,” he said.
Oktay ‘Ox’ Sahin (left), the creator of the kebab pie, with Pyne. Pyney the Pie Man
Sahin is now considering investing in a pricey convention oven specifically for the pies.
“My day job is as a risk analyst at one of the major four. I’m just on parental leave for the time being, and so while I’m on parental leave, I thought, ‘I’ll go back into the business and see what else I can do and bring this whole shop back to life’.”
Next up for Pyney the Pie Man is the 2026 Official Great Aussie Pie Competition, which runs with the Fine Food trade show from August 31 to September 3 in Melbourne.
Next up for Pyney is the 2026 Official Great Aussie Pie Competition. iStock
This will be the competition’s 37th year, with over 1500 entries expected, and the addition of a brand new Butchers Gourmet Pie category, aimed at showcasing the incredible creations made by local butchers across the country.
