The best meat pies in supermarkets, according to bakers and chefs

In the land Down Under, the humble meat pie—an iconic staple of Australian cuisine—is as synonymous with the culture as kangaroos and the Sydney Opera House. Whether you’re cheering on your favourite football team or looking for a quick and hearty meal, a good meat pie can be a source of national pride.

But with so many meat pie options available, it’s quite hard to choose. So to help meat pie lovers with the decision-making, Sydney’s finest bakers and chefs embarked on a culinary quest to discover the best meat pie available in the frozen or refrigerated sections of Australian supermarkets.

First, the pies included in the blind taste test were cooked according to their packet instructions and kept warm in a pie warmer. Judges were also permitted to use tomato sauce while taste-testing the meat pies.

They scored the pastry and filling separately, combining these scores for a final verdict out of 10.

After tasting 12 different brands, ranging from budget-friendly to premium prices, the results were in. Despite some variation in the quality of meat and gravy, the pies generally shared a similar style of dense, butterless pastry and predictable stew. Yet, one pie stood out as the one to avoid, while others rose to the top as the best and best value.

The best meat pies

Elmsbury Chunky Sous Vide Slow Cooked Beef scored a commendable 7.5/10. At $6.49 for two pies, this meat pie pack from ALDI offered a dense, margarine-enriched pastry and a stew that, while not gourmet, was satisfying enough for a casual Thursday night in. 

One reviewer said that it’s not the pie ‘you’d be proud to serve on a first date,’ but it’s the one you’d happily devour while watching a classic action film.

Herbert Adams Chunky Sous Vide Beef in Rich Gravy, available at large supermarkets, also scored 7.5/10. It was a close call between the top two, with Herbert Adams featuring a thicker pastry and ‘the most accurate rendition of chunky beef.’

However, with a $3 higher price tag than Elmsbury, the latter might be the smarter buy for the budget-conscious meat pie aficionado.

The best value meat pie

Elmsbury Classic Chunky Beef Pies from ALDI scored a solid 6/10 and were deemed the best value at $5.99 for four pies. One reviewer described it as ‘What I want to dribble down my front at the [football],’ capturing the essence of ‘a quintessential Australian pie’ with more ‘structural integrity and recognisable meat’ than your average stadium fare.

This meat pie pack is priced at $5.99 for four pies.

The notable mentions

Other notable mentions included Four’N Twenty Angus Aussie Beef, Mrs Mac’s Famous Beef, and Charlotte’s Bakery Chunky Beef, all scoring around 6/10. They offered varying experiences from the nostalgic servo pie to bold, exotic flavours.

However, not all pies were created equal. Simmone Logue Chunky Beef and Vegetable, as well as Ivan’s Chunky Angus Beef, received scores of 5.5/10 and 5/10, respectively, with reviewers commenting on their filling.

One reviewer said that the filling of the Simmone meat pie is like ‘an overly tomatoey bolognese,’ while another wrote that ‘it’s good for a vegan pie.’ Meanwhile, the meat pie from Ivan’s was described as having a ‘goulash-like’ filling.  

‘If you don’t care about the genre boundaries of the meat pie and you just want a decent quality product, both of these are fine, albeit expensive, options,’ said the panellists.

The low-scoring meat pies

Garlo’s Pies Lean Beef and Elmsbury Classic Meat Pies, both available at ALDI, scored low with 3/10 and 2.5/10, respectively.

Some panellists said the Elmsburry meat pie ‘tastes artificial and watery’ while the meat pie from Garlo’s had ‘grainy, mealy, and powdery’ meat.

We’d love to hear from our YourLifeChoices readers—what’s your go-to meat pie? Have you tried any of the pies mentioned above? Share your pie preferences and experiences in the comments below.

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