The commercial pie manufacturer took out the top award for the commercial/wholesale category at the 27th national pie awards. It is the first time Kai Pai has won gold in this category, for its wildly popular mince and cheese pie — distributed to Foodstuffs supermarkets, Bidfood retailers and Night ’n Day stores nationwide.
Kai Pai’s head baker Jason Danielson was recognised for his mince and cheese pie, where it placed fifth overall in the mince and cheese category. The mince and gravy pie placed ninth in that category.
Mr Danielson said the win highlighted the bakery’s ongoing commitment to continue creating quality pies for all Kiwis.
"This award reflects the whole team’s hard work to craft the perfect mince and cheese pie that every Kiwi can enjoy, regardless of where they are in the country," he said.
"With commercial manufacturing, it’s important that every pie is the same and that’s what we strive towards, without compromising on quality and flavour.
"We’re thrilled to be acknowledged as one of the best commercial pie providers in the country, which means a lot, especially with such a high calibre of entries this year."
Entrants need to commercially manufacture on average 60,000 single-serve pies in a six-day week, enter pies that weigh less than 280g each, are mechanically constructed and carry no brand identification, to qualify for the commercial/wholesale category.
Kai Pai has a history of success at the Bakels Awards, winning more than 21 Top 10 awards since 2018.
Under the guidance of owner Ian Warner and baking expertise of Mr Danielson, Kai Pai Bakery produces up to 38,000 pies a day from its Wanaka premises, making it one of the largest family-owned and operated bakeries in the South Island.
"We’re blown away by the ongoing support from our loyal customers and the businesses we work with — this award is a nod to them," Mr Danielson said.
"We’re truly honoured — going from making 1000 hand-crafted pies a day [originally] to now a team of more than 40 people working together to create a gold medal-worthy commercial pie."
