Tumbarumba Bakery has won gold for its Pepper Pie and bronze for its Chunky Plain Meat Pie at a national competition, while Ladbroken’s distinctive Berrylicious Apple Pie was a bronze medal winner. Photo: Tumbarumba Bakery Facebook.
Tumbarumba has stamped its name on the nation’s pie map, with Ladbroken Distillery Brewhouse and Tumbarumba Bakery bringing home medals from the recent 36th Annual Great Aussie Pie Competition.
The ever-popular Tumbarumba Bakery has put the small mountain town on the map, scoring a gold medal with its Gourmet Pepper Pie and bronze for its Chunky Plain Meat Pie while Ladbroken took home a bronze medal with its distinctive Berrylicious Apple Pie.
The handmade gourmet pie was dreamed up by cook Marissa Marais who put her tastebuds to the test when she first joined the business.
And yes, it was the first time the Tumbarumba team entered.
The competition, hosted by the Aussie Pie Council, was held 8–11 September at Fine Food Australia in Sydney’s International Convention Centre.
With more than 1500 entries from more than 200 bakeries nationwide, judges sought out Australia’s best pies, pasties and sausage rolls across multiple categories with Ladbroken winning a medal in the Overall Apple Gourmet Pie class.
Co-founder Robbie Ladbrook said the pies were carefully packed in the car and chauffeured from the small Snowy Valleys town to Sydney, a 468-kilometre journey. He said the drive from Tumbarumba to Sydney was worth every kilometre.
“Delivering our pies to Sydney felt like a mission of pride,” he said. “We knew Marissa’s creation was something special – it tells the story of our region in every bite”.
The pie combines Batlow apples, wild-foraged blackberries and, wait for it, pastry enriched with Ladbroken’s own whisky and liqueur-making ingredients.
Ladbroken Distillery Brewhouse was founded in 2020 by Robbie and Neil Ladbrook when they visited Tumbarumba and were quickly enchanted by the magic of the region.
Today they craft award-winning gin, whisky, liqueurs, and vodka alongside craft beers. Marissa says a little of that is the magic behind the pie.
“I was inspired to make it when I joined the team,” she said. “As part of my training, I sampled some of our whisky and gin ingredients, like malted barley from Leeton and wild-foraged blackberries.”
She said she used a similar spice profile as Ladbroken’s blackberry Very Delicious Gin, and with the added bonus of the local Batlow apples.
“The pastry even has butter and malt extract from our liqueur-making – that’s what makes it so delicious,” she said. “Apples, berries, cherries – they’re all part of life here in the Snowy Valleys.”
Robbie Ladbroke said it was a thrill seeing all the pies lined up ahead of the competition.
“But better still, coming home with bronze feels amazing. Our pies bake fresh and sell fast, and we’re already planning a new take on an apple pie for next year – watch this space!” he said.
A little further west Wagga Wagga’s Killer Pies is also celebrating wins with silver medals for its Gourmet Poultry Chicken & Mushroom and Lamb Shank pies.
Further up the Hume Highway, Trappers Bakery in Goulburn won multiple awards at the competition: bronze for its Gourmet Apple Pie, Sausage Roll Mince and Pastie; silver for its apprentice Tim Slats for his Gourmet Veggie Pie, Plain Meat Pie Chunky, Gourmet Poultry Chicken Leek & Asparagus, Gourmet Poultry Chicken Pie and Gourmet Red Meat Pulled Brisket with Jalapenos & Cheddar Cheese.
Heatherbrae’s Pies at Sutton Forrest drove home with four golds with one going to apprentice Liam Smith for his Paneer Masala pie. Other golds went to The Spicy Pineapple Pork, Satay Chicken and Korean Chicken pies. Silver medals were awarded to its Silverside Cauli White Sauce pie, Curried Sausage and Beef Bourguignon pies.
Over to Bakehouse Delights at East Nowra – golds for its Plain Meat Pie (Mince), Plain Meat Pie (Chunky) Gourmet Beef Pie and silvers for its Chicken Curry Thai Pie, Red Thai Spicy Curry Vegetable Pie and Curry Lentil Pie.
Holding up the ACT representation at the awards was Griffith Butchery, scoring a gold for its Sausage Roll (mince) , and a bronze apiece for its Chicken Vegetable Pie, Curry Lamb and Beef Mushroom pies.
Fyshwick’s Smoke Masters BBQ won a gold with its Wagyu Smoked Brisket Cheddar & Pickled Jalapeno Pie.
