AWARD WINNING PIES

Annual Bakels Supreme Pie Awards saw RedKitchen HQ walk away with Highly Commended! 4th place from over 100 entries! Super proud of our talented team and getting recognition for a quality product we know is made with love.

Below is an exerpt from the Te Awamutu News article.

Roughly five years ago, Red Kitchen HQ was established as an independent operation – supplying both the RedKitchen Café and other retailers around New Zealand.

In June – with both arms of the business growing rapidly – the couple sold the Mahoe St café so Megan could focus solely on the HQ operation.

It’s the fifth year the team has entered the awards, having previously placed as high as runner up – though it’s the first time the chicken and leek pie has made an appearance.

“Honestly, the whole team is pretty proud,” Megan told The News on Monday, quick to point out entries were a team effort.

“I’d like to think we don’t just cook food at Red Kitchen HQ, we make it with love.”

“We think our pies are pretty good,” Red Kitchen HQ manager Jen Read added with a smile.

“So, of course, we’d like other people to know that too. Recognition in these awards is awesome, positive reinforcement,” she said.

Jen said chicken and leek was chosen this year because, through a process of elimination, it “came out on top as a staff favourite”.

What’s the secret to one of the country’s best pies then?

“Every step of the process is carefully thought out,” Megan said.

“To me, a good pie is almost like a satisfying meal, it should have a generous amount of filling.”

Jen agreed, adding that completing each individual step well ultimately adds up to a well-rounded finished pie. The approach, it seems, is working.

Megan said Red Kitchen HQ gets lots of good feedback. Next up, the team’s keen to give a curried vegetable and cashew pie with kumara topping a “whirl”.

To celebrate, we are having a deal. Buy 6 for $60!