Judging has taken place to find New Zealand's best pie

New Zealand's best pie must be eaten with a generous squirt of tomato sauce and has been dubbed the "best ever picnic pie" by the esteemed Edmonds Cookbook.

Annabel Langbein makes hers with shortcrust pastry and potatoes. Chelsea Winter favours puff pastry, fresh basil and peas.

That's right folks, the title of best pie at the 2016 Bakels Supreme Pie Awards goes to the humble Kiwi classic, the bacon and egg pie.

Phil Doyle Patrick Lam of Patrick's Gold Star Bakery, home of the best pie in New Zealand.

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According to the national Pie Awards judges, it is the Patrick's Pie Group Gold Star Bakery recipe we should all be chasing. The Tauranga bakery served up an impressive bacon and egg pie.

Phil Doyle Patrick Lam wins best pie in NZ - again.

NZ Bakels managing director Brent Kersel said the winning pie looked impressive even before tasting.

"The flavour and moistness of the bacon and egg combination was mouth-watering," he said.

Chief judge Tim Aspinwall said the Patrick's pie had wow factor, evenly cooked golden pastry, great aroma and flavour and it said, "eat me".

Supplied Judges considered pies from all over New Zealand.

"Patrick's winning bacon and egg pie ticked all these boxes."

Patrick's has won five Supreme Pie Awards since 2003, and 56 other awards in the competition.

The bakery also took home a silver award for its steak and cheese entry and a highly commended for its fruit pie - Cointreau pear, apple and cherry cheesecake flavour.

Bacon and Egg Pie from Patrick's Pie Group in Tauranga.

The best steak and cheese pie went to another Tauranga bakery, Baker Bob's, and best mince and cheese went to Panmure Bakehouse in Auckland.

However, this year's awards also attracted some more unusual entries. Fish pie has a tendency to divide opinion. Some love it, some hate it, and some people were force-fed it by their well-meaning grandmothers.

The gold award in the Cafe Boutique flavour section went to a Smoked Warehou and Terakihi pie from Riwaka cafe, Ginger Dynamite.

Pies were judged in flavour categories.

Celebrity chef Mark Southon said the range of pies on offer was incredible.

"We saw some interesting skills and flavours, such as alpaca and kimchi; braised lamb shank and butter chicken.

"There were nostalgic and Kiwi heritage pies like creamed paua, smoked fish and the addition of kumara to some pies."

A panel of 21 judges spent 10 hours judging the pies. The awards received over 5,000 entries from more than 500 entrants. Previous supreme winners have included a mince and cheese, a potato top pie and a lamb cutlet and kumara mash entry from Carterton.

For those wanting to taste them all, here is the full list of award winner for 2016:

Mince and gravy

Gold: Angkor Wat Kiwi Bakery and Cafe, Hawke's Bay

Silver: Pak n Save Petone

Bronze: Blagdon Bakery, New Plymouth

Highly commended: Eurobake Espresso, Auckland

Steak and gravy

Gold: Counties Bakery, Auckland

Silver: Fresh Bun Cafe, Auckland

Bronze: Bakehouse Cafe Ngaruwahia

Highly commended: Food for Thought, Thames

Chicken and vegetable

Gold: Savans Bakery, Auckland

Silver: Greenland Bakery and Cafe, Auckland

Bronze: Hillpark Bakery, Auckland

Highly Commended: Fresh Bun Cafe, Auckland

Gourmet Fruit

Gold: Dairy Flat Bakery, Auckland (Blueberry, spiced apple and apricot)

Silver: Havelock North New World (Caramelised walnut, Black Doris Plum)

Bronze: Bakers Oven, Auckland (apple)

Highly Commended: Patrick's Pie Group Gold Star Bakery, Tauranga (Cointreau pear, apple and cherry cheesecake)

Gourmet meat

Gold: Pak n Save Petone (steak and mushroom)

Silver: Bakers Oven, Auckland (mushroom, bacon and cheese)

Bronze: Baker Bob's, Tauranga (venison, mushroom, bacon and cheese)

Highly commended: Beaut Bakery, Taupo (steak, mushroom and cheese)

Vegetarian

Gold: The Bakery, Queenstown (Broccoli, pumpkin and carrot)

Silver: Better Quality Pies Ltd, Rotorua (Potato, pumpkin and kumara)

Bronze: Baker Bob's, Tauranga (Spinach, pumpkin and kumara)

Highly commended: Rushgreen Bakery and Cafe (Carrot, peas and corn)

Bacon and Egg

Gold: Patrick's Pie Group Gold Star Bakery, Tauranga

Silver: Greenland Bakery and Cafe, Auckland

Bronze: Bakehouse Cafe Ngaruawahia

Highly commended: Hillpark Bakery, Auckland

Mince and cheese

Gold: Panmure Bakehouse

Silver: Julia's Bakery, Auckland

Bronze: Jackson's Bakery, Havelock North

Highly commended: Nana's Bakery, Auckland

Steak and cheese

Gold: Baker Bob's, Tauranga

Silver: Patrick's Pie Group Gold Star Bakery, Tauranga

Bronze: Fast and Fresh Bakery, Taupo

Highly Commended: Mairangi Bay Bakery, Auckland

Potato top

Gold: Pak n Save Petone

Silver: Corner Bakery, Auckland

Bronze: Baker Bob's, Tauranga

Highly Commended: Baker's Oven, Auckland

Commercial wholesale mince and cheese

Gold: Coupland's Bakeries

Silver: Dad's Pies

Bronze: Ponsonby Pies

Highly Commended: Goodtime Foods

Cafe Boutique

Gold: Ginger Dynamite, Riwaka (Smoked Warehou and Terakihi)

Silver: Replenish Cafe, Timaru (Cream of chicken, leek, carrot, celery, ham and cheese)

​Bronze: Warkworth New World, Auckland (Pork, kumara and apple)

Highly Commended: Bosco Cafe, Te Kuiti (Venison, mushroom, ales, red wine and juniper berries)

SUPREME: Patrick's Pie Group Gold Star Bakery, Bacon and Egg.