Pie & Mash Aussie Style

Ahh good old pie and mash, you simply cannot beat it. Apparently it’s been sold in the East end of London since the 19th century and the Aussies have even come up with their own version known as the ‘pie floater.’ While we’re not completely taken with that name due to the fact that it reminds us of something else, we know that when you’re away from home for a significant amount of time, sometimes you just want a little taste of it to take you back every now and again. We’ve searched high and low across Melbourne to find you the best pie and mash the city has to offer.

P.J. O’Brien’s

Traditional Irish pub P.J.’s have a menu that reminds you of your mum’s cooking back home. Their traditional beef and Guinness pie is homemade with prime beef and Guinness sauce served with creamy mash potato and seasonal vegetables, costing $19.50. Luckily for you there are two P.J.O’Briens’ in Melbourne, with one in the airport, meaning you can have your pie and mash as soon as you arrive.

P.J. O’Brien’s, Southgate Arts & Leisure Precinct, Southbank, Victoria
(03) 9686 5011
www.pjobriens.com.au

Pie In The Sky Of Olinda

Fancy a prize-winning pie? Pie In The Sky of Olinda have an array of pies for you to choose from (with the choice of mash on the side) all or most of which have won medals. That’s right, here you are eating champion pies. Since 1993 this place has won a total of 30 medals in the annual Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition, with 15 of those being gold! Just to give you some idea of what flavours you can choose from, they have an Aussie meat pie, cheese pie, mushroom pie, cheese and onion pie, pumpkin pie, korma chicken pie, spinach and feta pie and even that pie floater thingy.

Pie In The Sky, 43 Olinda – Monbulk Rd, Olinda – 3788, Victoria
(03) 9751 2128
www.pieinthesky.net.au

Pie Minister

A family-run business, these guys have a passion for pies and aim to make them as healthy as possible. They use low fat pastry and fresh meat and vegetable produce, and make and bake all their pies daily. You can have a single size pie which cost between $4 – $6 or a family-sized sharing pie for around $11 – $18. They too have a wide selection to choose from, with even a great choice for all you non-meat-eaters out there. Their pies are so good, Prime Minister Julia Gillard stopped by to tuck into one when campaigning in Pakenham.

Pie Minister?, 24 Lakeside Boulevard, Pakenham, Victoria, 3810
(03) 5940 5588
www.pieminister.com.au?

Pie Face

There are quite a few of these around Australia so you may be familiar with this name once you’ve been there a reasonable amount of time. But the reason there are so many is because they do good pie! They’ve got Mexican pie, steak and mushroom, breakfast pie, steak and pepper, mince beef, chicken and mushroom, chunky steak, Thai chicken curry and tandoori vegetable just to give you a rough idea. Most of their shops are open 24 hours which means pies at any time of the day and night. Of course mash is available to get on the side.

Melbourne CBD: Elizabeth Street, Swanston Street, Bourke Street, Collins Street, Flinders Street (plus more)
www.pieface.com.au

Dinkum Pies

When a pie shop has been open for 40-years, either they’ve got a lot of cash or they have some pretty damn good pies. For Dinkum Pies it’s the latter. This recently refurbished pie shop is now drenched in the colour of love (red) and coca-cola memorabilia for a pseudo-retro look. After you get past the colour of the walls make your way to the counter and let your eyes fest on a plethora of freshly baked pies. The favourite famous steak pie is sumptuous with fresh minced steak encased in a buttery puff pastry and a crispy pastry lid. It’s a classic, so why fight it?

29 Block Place, Melbourne, Victoria 3000
(03) 9654 6792
www.facebook.com/dinkumpies

Williamsons’ Pies and Pastries

Considered by most to have the best veggie pasties in the whole of Melbourne, Williamsons’ Pies and Pastries has got a following, but what about the pies? They are equally as good as the veggie variety of pasty. Their style of unpretentious rustic pie making is admirable in today’s ‘cheffy’ approach to food. You won’t find a deconstruction of the pie here and they make no apologies about that. If you want some classic pie filling in a crisp, tasty puff pastry case you know where to go.

253 Chapel Street, Parhran, VIC 3181
(03) 9510 1729

O’Grady’s Gourmet Pies and Quiches

When you have a head pastry chef that was taught by the Swiss, kings of pastries, you can’t really expect anything less than perfection from O’Grady’s. And that’s what you get: perfection in pie form. Offering a large selection of gourmet meat and chicken pies, from the classics like steak and chicken and mushroom, to the more inventive Swiss cheese and steak, to the sublime Mexican pie. A fiesta of chilli topped with tortilla chips, jalapeños and generously sprinkled with cheddar cheese. They even do veggie pies, so there’s no excuse to check out O’Grady’s and their exotic array of pie goodness.

Shop 7, 1-5North Concourses, Beaumaris, VIC 3294
(03) 9589 3249
www.ogradys.com.au

By Hannah Kurzawski