Baker Tommy Nguyen.
Camera IconBaker Tommy Nguyen. Credit: Supplied/Martin Kennealey

Medal win as easy as pie

Michele Nugent, Melville TimesMelville Gazette

The 31-year-old’s creations won six awards at the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition held in Sydney ” silver for his Plain Mince Beef and Plain Chunky pies, and bronze for the Coconut Curry, Morning Eggs and Green Thai Chicken varieties.

A student of bread and pastry at Polytechnic West’s Swan campus, the Marangaroo resident said the Coconut Curry pie was one of his shop’s best sellers, with 300 coming out of the oven seven days a week but he baked abut 2000 beef pies ” the eternal favourite ” for his customers weekly.

With his partner Jimmy Dang, he owned a fish and chip shop, but bought the bakery more than three years ago. They also won gold at last year’s Aussie pie competition, in which cooked but cold pies are sent to NSW and warmed for a discerning judging panel.

The pair have been able to employ more staff in recent times, meaning Mr Nguyen no longer has to start baking at 4am, thankful for the more respectable 6.30am start.

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And what is Mr Nguyen’s favourite pie? Plain beef, without the sauce.

– Against thousands of national entries, 16 bakers from metropolitan and regional WA won a total of 93 gold, silver and bronze awards.