4 | Double award for a Kiwi favourite Kai Pai Bakery is a Kiwi-owned family business, with all of its pies and savouries produced in Wānaka. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Kai Pai Bakery T T Aimee Wilson “A lot of the time, commercial bakeries are focused on speed or profit margins, but it’s important to us to maintain that level of quality and taste. Wanaka-based Kai Pai Bakery is no stranger to winning awards, and now with more than 23 flavours in production, there is usually something to tempt the taste buds. At this year’s New Zealand Bakels Supreme Pie Awards, the company took home silver in the Commercial Mince and Cheese category and a bronze in the Mince and Cheese category, proving that sometimes it’s the Kiwi classics that are a firm favourite. Head baker Jason Danielson says the mince and cheese is still Kai Pai’s biggest-selling flavour. “We make sure we keep at the top of our game with it.” This year’s results also reinforce Kai Pai’s position as the most-awarded bakery in the South Island. The bakery’s commercial mince and cheese pie has been recognised at every NZ Supreme Pie Awards held since 2017, a testament to consistent quality and delicious taste. “In the mince and cheese category, we are often competing against small-batch, even handmade pies, so we’re delighted to show large-scale production can still deliver award-winning flavour and craftsmanship,” says Jason. “We don’t take shortcuts. Despite rising ingredient costs, we’re still sticking to our guns and using top-quality ingredients, like using Colby cheese rather than going for cheaper options. “A lot of the time, commercial bakeries are focused on speed or profit margins, but it’s important to us to maintain that level of quality and taste. It proves that we do really care about what we’re doing.” Kai Pai’s mince and cheese pie is not only a favourite with judges – it’s also a Kiwi go-to. “Every month, we make enough mince and cheese pies to span the length of 42 rugby fields. So it’s pretty popular.” Employing 45 staff, Kai Pai Bakery is a Kiwi-owned family business, with all of its pies and savouries produced in Wānaka. The business started in 2010 in Queenstown, but soon outgrew its small kitchen, so headed over the hill to purchase the former McGregors Pies business from Bernie Sagrue. “There was just no room to move,” says Jason. Since settling in Wanaka, the bakery has doubled its production, using all of Jason’s original recipes, and now the bakery has launched into family pies, savouries and petites. The bakery has scooped 29 Supreme Pie awards since 2016, making it the most awarded commercial pie manufacturer in New Zealand. “We’ve got a great team, who all work very hard and care about what they do. These wins are a credit to them,” Jason says. Significant investments have also been made in facilities and equipment to increase production capacity to 50,000-plus pies a day (currently approximately 23,000 pies per day). 0800 43 55 37 www.hellers.co.nz Hellers is a proud, award winning supplier to Kai Pai Bakery and congratulate them on their recent awards won. Keep up the great work team! North Island 6 Morrin Road, St Johns, Auckland South Island 8 Harewood Road, Harewood, Christchurch 8 Proudly supplying high quality processed meat to Kai Pai Bakery. Find out more at simplyfoodsolutions.co.nz
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