Wānaka bakery’s Mince and Cheese pie wins again at national awards

Kai Pai Bakery has once again proven its Mince and Cheese mastery, earning two medals at the 2025 New Zealand Bakels Supreme Pie Awards.

The Wānaka-based bakery took home a Silver in the Commercial Mince and Cheese category and a Bronze in the Mince and Cheese category, proving their expertise in a pie that’s long been considered a Kiwi classic.

Kai Pai head baker Jason Danielson says the Mince and Cheese is Kai Pai’s biggest-selling flavour. “We make sure we keep at the top of our game with it.”

This year’s results 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, Danielson says.

“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 classic.

“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 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.”