Pie Pastry Specialists

Pie Nowadays

Nowadays, pie making is a huge commercial business, both for the pie makers and the pie pastry specialists. Most pubs and many cafés and restaurants will have at least one hot savoury pie on the menu, and you can always get ready-to-serve pies from your local supermarkets. There are even food stalls that especially sell many different pies in New Zealand.

At Northern Foods, we use a specialised machine to manufacture our pastry – this is the same machine that is used to make Jesters Pies.

This specialised machine allows us to make only the best, high-quality, specialised pastry. We also manufacture our pastry from the highest quality of flour and other ingredients and we will deliver it to you in a perfect condition.

As a wholesale food supplier and pastry manufacturer, we guarantee that our pastry is delicious, crusty, and of course, very affordable. Anybody who requires regular supplies of pie pastry products should contact Northern Foods – pie pastry specialists in Auckland.

What is a Pie?
A pie is a sweet/savoury pastry dish, often made with a specialised pastry, containing fruits, meat and other sweet/savoury ingredients. It usually comes with gravy or sauce and can be eaten hot or cold depending on your preference.

Meat pies used to contain both meat and fruits, usually dried fruits and spices. It is only recently that the savoury and the sweet pies become totally different. However, some pies such as Shepherd’s Pies use potatoes, whilst other pies use other savoury toppings like fish, such as Stargazy Pie, being one of the most popular pies out there.

Processing/Cooking Pies
Meat pies are usually made with short crust pastry. Special pies, such as Pork Pies, are commonly made with a specialised pastry, like a hot water pastry – one in which the lard and water are brought to the boil and then poured onto the flour to create a smooth dough.

However the pastry is made, people usually use it as a ‘container’ for the meat and vegetables. The ingredients are prepared, chopped, or minced, and put in raw, usually with seasoned flour and some water/stock/seasonings. The crust is then laid on top and fixed firmly to the edge of the bottom crust. People often decorate their pies with some extra garnishes, such as pastry leaves, or simply leave it glazed with egg wash or milk. After all the processes finish, it is cooked until the ingredients inside are fully done.

Uses & Health Values
Meat pies are usually served with the main course. Hot pies are served with vegetables (and sometimes chips), whilst cold pies are usually served with salad. Although people normally regard pies as ‘comfort food’, Kiwis can enjoy meat pies as a snack that can easily be bought from supermarkets or convenience stores. On the other hand, cold pies can be a great dish for picnic or lunch box food, and are very often served at buffet parties.

The health value of a pie really depends on the contents and ingredients of the pie and what is served as a companion dish. Eaten with chips, the diner will be getting a double intake of fat – as well as any that may be in the meat. However, eaten with vegetables or salad, pies can be a nutritious food to consume.