Tastes Like Home
For one New Zealand baker living in New York City, the comforts of home come packed inside a pastry crust.
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But you can't just become a baker overnight. How did you get from the concept to the product?
First I approached a few bakers in Auckland whose pies I admired. I told them what I wanted to do and showed them my New York ID so they'd know I wasn't trying to compete with them. They were great. I got a crash course in pie making and came back to New York.
Initially, the hardest part was that I was making everything myself, mixing the pastry in a KitchenAid mixer and rolling the dough by hand. Now we are equipped to pump out a lot of pies. But back then, if I could make three dozen pies, I'd be ecstatic—and that was in an 18-hour day.
What's your favorite pie?
Steak and mushroom. I grew up eating it. In fact, if you really are what you eat, I am a steak and mushroom pie.
Do you eat one everyday?
Not now. I made a decision to stop eating so many because I noticed that my passion for pies was being affected. I always thought there was no limit to the amount of pies I could eat, but when you're making them all day, every day, you hit that limit pretty quickly!
How many varieties of pie do you make now?
We make steak mince and cheese, plain steak mince, shepherd's pie, steak and kidney pie, chicken and vegetable pie, a curry vegetarian pie, and a couple more. But it's a really exciting time because we're just about to expand and bring on another baker, who will help streamline the operation and enable us to expand our flavors. That's the great thing about a pie: it's really just a package—you can put anything in there. I've got 46 recipes developed, but we use only 12 now. We'll be adding one with smoked fish and sweet potato pie and a Thai curry pie soon.
Should the ideal pie be thick inside or runny?
The inside should be runny, but not so wet that the pie can't be eaten in hand. Growing up in New Zealand and Australia you develop the ability to eat a pie without making a mess. It requires some learned skill to keep the gravy inside the pastry shell.
What about the crust?
It absolutely has to be flaky. Right now I think our shells are perfect, but as the shops grow, we are going to work on some other aspects of the appearance. For instance, true "gourmet" pies from Australia and New Zealand are a little bigger than ours.
So there are standard shapes and sizes for different kinds of pies?
Yes, in fact, I bring the pie tins that we use here in from New Zealand. The shape is called the New Zealand oval, and it's the most common shape for pies back there.
What's the best accompaniment for a pie?
A beer, definitely a beer. Pies are perfect for sports watching. In fact, soccer, beer, and pies: they were meant to go together.
Is there one thing you should never do to a pie?
I would say you shouldn't eat a pie cold. A cold meat pie and congealed gravy: ugh!
Do you foresee a future—say, ten years down the line—in which there is a pie shop on every corner in New York City?
I don't see why not. I like to think we're exchanging our culture with America. In fact, I'm applying with the INS to officially become a cultural ambassador, so I can hire Australians and New Zealanders. I could just keep on doing this and pay my bills, but I have much bigger plans than that.
The Down Under Bakery is located at 193 Columbia St., Brooklyn, NY. Pies can also be ordered online at www.dubpies.com.
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