Look out Wakey Bakey, Waimea Intermediate have some budding pastry chefs.
Waimea Intermediate master bakers have battled it out to find the best pie maker in school.
Over the past two terms, students have created more than 140 different flavours of pies under the overarching theme of Matariki, and more specifically Matariki ki te Wai – Matariki and water - the unifying theme for New Zealand’s 2025 Matariki celebrations, running from 7 June to 13 July.
The pies ranged from traditional mince and cheese with some kumara added in, to the more wonderful hāngi pie, and the outright unusual possum pie.
Through an in-house voting system, they were whittled down to the top 10, and on Friday, they once again cooked their pies to be judged by pastry royalty.
Wakefield Bakery provided two judges, new owner and head pie baker Jesse Peacock, and Rayna Russell, who were both impressed by the creations.
Year 8 student Ryan Capell is the mastermind behind the possum pie, which he made at home as he didn’t think he’d be able to make the competition.
“I caught the possum at my grandparents’ farm in Pelorus.”
Ryan has tried possum and likes the taste, which he likens to chicken. He decided to pair it with kumara to enhance the Matariki theme.
He says he was a little nervous having Wakefield Bakery chefs judging his pie.
The pies were judged with a 30 per cent weighting on reflecting the Matariki theme, taste and flavour, and appearance and presentation, with a final 10 per cent given to originality.
The supreme winner was a pulled pork and puha creation, with the hāngi pie claiming title of best theme. Most artistic went to a spicy lamp and horopito pastry, and Ryan’s possum pie won the title of most original.
Food technology teacher Jo Townshend says the students have learnt lots from the experience, and the winning pie will be cooked at scale for this Thursday’s community Matariki celebration from 3-5pm.
“It’s more than just making a pie, it’s working as a team, being organised and thinking about how to link to Matariki. A few groups have made seafood chowder and kaimoana pies, which link to this year’s theme of water,” she adds.
Baykels, who run the Baykels NZ Supreme Pie Awards, provided prize packs including aprons, chef hats, and baking tools.
