The Sher Wagyu Reuben pie
After another heated competition, local Buninyong restaurant, The Shared Table has won the title of Ballarat’s Best Pie for 2026. The Shared Table’s Sher Wagyu Reuben pie has come out victorious, beating out 29 other savoury and sweet pies from local venues competing for the crown.
Crafted with locally-sourced ingredients, the Sher Wagyu Reuben pie weaves together decadent braised wagyu with pastrami flavours, sauerkraut, cheese, dressing and pickles in a rye flour pastry. It was also the deserving recipient of the Best Savoury pie award.
The awards ceremony was held on Saturday 1 August at Itinerant Spiritsand hosted by head judge MasterChef Australia semi-finalist and Good Chef Bad Chef co-host, Tim Bone.
Alongside Bone, the judging panel included Kara Monssen (Herald Sun food and wine editor), Alejandro Saravia (acclaimed Melbourne chef) and Richard Cornish (veteran food writer).
Coming in close, second place was awarded to Cookie Cult’s Struck Gold & It’s Sticky pie (available at Yellow Espresso) which also took home the Best Sweet Pie award. Third place went to The Buninyong Hotel’s Sri Lankan chicken curry pie – the result of a Sri Lankan-born team of chefs preparing a traditional dish from their homeland and serving it in the most Aussie way.
“To take home the crown among so many talented local bakers and businesses is an absolute dream come true,” says Dianne Ray, Owner of The Shared Table.
“Delicious and Surprising has been our motto since opening as we’ve always strived to serve fine food with a twist – mixing and matching many types of cuisines, often landing in fusions that surprise and delight our customers. That’s how our spin on the Reuben was born.
“A huge amount of passion, hard work, and the best of local ingredients went into crafting this pie, and our team couldn’t be prouder to share this win with the talented makers and producers in our community,” says Ray.
THE WINNERS
- Ballarat’s Best Pie grand prize winner: The Shared Table’s Sher Wagyu Reuben pie
- 2nd place – Ballarat’s Best Pie: Cookie Cult’s Struck Gold & It’s Sticky pie
- 3rd place – Ballarat’s Best Pie: The Buninyong Hotel’s Sri Lankan chicken curry pie
- Best Savoury Pie: The Shared Table’s Sher Wagyu Reuben pie
- Best Sweet Pie: Cookie Cult’s Struck Gold & It’s Sticky pie
- Best Bakery Pie: Sovereign Hill’s Slow-cooked blade steak pepper pie
- Brilliantly Unexpected Pie: Flying Chillies’ Pandan flower pie
Throughout August, Ballarat’s best eateries, bars, and bakeries will be showcasing their competing pies for the public to experience for themselves.
Not only can you try the Sher Wagyu Reuben pie but pick up a Ballarat’s Best Pie map from the Ballarat Information Centre or download a digital copy at visitballarat.com.au/ballarats–best–pie to taste your way through the 30 honourable competitors. Last year, more than 20,000 pies were sold across the city, supporting the very best of regional produce, craftsmanship and culinary imagination.
For the second-year running, every pie lover can become a critic with the chance to have their say by voting for the People’s Choice Pie.Simply scan the QR code at participating venues or head to visitballarat.com.au/ballarats–best–pie, and go into the draw to win a luxury Ballarat escape for two valued at over $1200.
Voting closes 31 August, with the winner announced in early September.
BALLARAT’S BIG BITE
The celebrations continue on Tuesday 4 August when Ballarat will attempt its biggest gathering of people eating pies at the same time. From 6am, the public is invited to pack into Ballarat’s Civic Hall to enjoy a free breakfast pie, entertainment, connect with the community and attempt to make culinary history.
Here’s the full list of winners plus participating bakeries, cafes, restaurants and bars:
WINNING PIES
- The Shared Table: Sher Wagyu Reuben pie – braised wagyu with pastrami flavours, sauerkraut, cheese, dressing and pickles in a rye flour pastry, weaving locally-sourced ingredients into a tried-and-true flavour profile.
- Cookie Cult: Struck Gold & It’s Sticky pie – a signature chocolate chip cookie base topped with soft, rich sticky date pudding drenched in warm honey caramel, homemade vanilla custard, and sealed with a buttery pie crust top.
- The Buninyong Hotel: Sri Lankan chicken curry pie – authentic Sri Lankan Chicken curry with a traditional blend of herbs and spices, and traditional handmade paste.
- Sovereign Hill: Slow-cooked blade steak pepper pie – slow-roasted brisket complete with a rich sauce and encased in golden pastry, drawing inspiration from the 1850s goldfields.
- Flying Chillies: Pandan flower pie – layered with butter puff pastry, salted palm sugar caramel, pandan cheesecake, ube whipped white chocolate ganache, and finished with a coconut mochi.
SAVOURY PIES
- Emma’s Bakery – Meredith Dairy goat deluxe pie
- Craig’s Royal Hotel – Korean Galbi-jjim pie
- Turret Bakehouse – Ballarat beef short rib ragu pie
- Tuki – Tuki rainbow trout escabeche pie
- Beechworth Bakery – Prospector’s pork & cider pie
- Nasi Rice – Curry ayam pie
- The Mallow Hotel – The Mallow duck pithivier
- Lola Ballarat – Lola’s surf & turf royale pie
- Cornerstone Cafe – Harvest truffle pie
- The Shared Table – Sher Wagyu Reuben pie
- The Buninyong Hotel – Sri Lankan chicken curry pie
- Roy Hammond – Korean beef hand pie
- Aunty Jacks – Chicken parma pie
- Hop Temple – Smoked cheeseburger pie
- Grainery Lane – Yuzu & wasabi chicken pie
- The Yacht Club – Sailor’s Catch
- Hideaway – The Old Favourite
- Kilderkin Distillery – Highland bramble lamb pie
- Market Hotel Ballarat – Market Hotel chimney stack pie
- Maggie & Kate – Andy’s Highland pie
- 1816 Bakehouse – Red Luv-a-Duck curry pie
- Sovereign Hill – Slow-cooked blade steak pepper pie
SWEET PIES - Flying Chillies at The Salty Sparrow Cafe- Pandan flower pie
- Mondegreen Cafe – Off the wagon ice cream pie
- The George Hotel – Noel’s Filipino peach, mango and coconut pie
- Cookie Cult at Yellow Espresso – Struck gold, and it’s sticky pie
- Every Little Crumb – Chocolate, apple and miso caramel pie
- Mrs Browne Bakes at Prey – Banana & honey miso caramel gold fever hand pie
- Hydrant Food Hall – Sweet heat berry pie
- Dyers Steak Stable – Dyers Tiddly Oggie
For full pie descriptions, visit visitballarat.com.au/big–bite
Image credit: Chris MccConville