Ballarat is once again rolling out the pastry mat for a full month of flaky indulgence. Back for its third year, Ballarat’s Best Pie is fast becoming a winter pilgrimage for pastry lovers, and 2025 is set to be the tastiest yet.
Running all through August, the competition sees 36 wildly creative pies, both sweet and savoury, vying for top honours, from classic beef renditions to duck, limoncello and even lion’s mane mushroom.
The official judging goes down on Saturday 2 August at last year’s champs, Itinerant Spirits, with winners crowned across seven categories—three of them new.
Expect heated debate over who takes out “Brilliantly Unexpected Pie” and the new “Pie with Purpose,” recognising low-waste, innovative or local produce heroes. Food lovers can also have their say, with a freshly introduced People’s Choice Pie vote open online and in-venue throughout the month.
This year’s MC is none other than cookbook star Julia Busuttil Nishimura, presiding over a panel stacked with culinary cred: MasterChef’s Tim Bone, food writer Richard Cornish, critic Kara Monssen, and top chef Alejandro Saravia.
From the Filipino-inspired lechon paksiw pie to the boozy limoncello meringue, these pies aren’t just comfort food—they’re storytelling in a crust. Whether you’re after nostalgia or novelty, Ballarat’s flavour frontier has a pie for every palate.
Ready to bite in? Grab the trail map at visitballarat.com.au/ballarats-best-pie and start planning your flaky escape.
