Who ate all the pies? We do our best in a bid to find a great one.

Some journalists risk their health and wellbeing by going into war zones, or speaking truth to power.
For me, putting my body on the line to write this column is nearly as tough.
While its a delicious privilege to bring you the very best on offer in terms of supermarket eats, this means chewing through a fair amount of the very worst in the process.
Thats especially true this week, where it has been a bit of a struggle to find five single-serve pies that I can wholeheartedly recommend. Trust me, there are some terrible crimes being committed in the name of pies in this country. I tasted countless examples of flabby, flaccid pastry and unpleasantly gluey fillings in my quest to find a bunch of decent ones.
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Despite packaging instructions to the contrary, you should never, ever put a pie in the microwave and expect it to be edible afterwards.
A truly great pie is a masterpiece of culinary engineering; a clever mixture of art and science in the form of well-made flaky pastry and a flavoursome filling.
In 2017, research by Food Standards NZ found that New Zealanders ate 15 meat pies each a year. Pie-makers might have a captive market, but as consumers we need to become a lot more discerning. And despite packaging instructions to the contrary, you should never, ever put a pie in the microwave and expect it to be edible afterwards. If youre too hungry to wait 20 minutes to reheat one in the oven, have a piece of toast instead.
The addition of smooth kumara mash and tangy peach and mango chutney helps to set this pie apart.
Ponsonby Pies Gourmet Chicken & Kumara Pie ($4.99 for 235g)
I last ate a Ponsonby Pie in 2003, while waiting to interview fashion mogul Paula Ryan in Hamilton (journalism, so glamorous). I accidentally dropped some down my front while eating it in my car and spent the interview hoping she wouldnt notice. Nineteen years later, I can report that these pies have excellent pastry and, if you eat them sitting at a table, youre less likely to have a wardrobe malfunction. Chicken pies can be very hit and miss the addition of smooth kumara mash and tangy peach and mango chutney helps to set this one apart.
This is not a pie to eat anywhere but off a plate, unless youre wearing overalls or similarly mucky clothing.
I Love Pies Mexican Pulled Jackfruit & Cheddar ($5.50 for 210g)
The magic texture of pulled jackfruit works so well in this vegetarian-friendly pie that one of my tasters couldnt believe it wasnt pulled pork. The sour cream pastry is a touch on the thick side, but its a good vehicle for the punchy chipotle sauce. This is not a pie to eat anywhere but off a plate, unless youre wearing overalls or similarly mucky clothing. This was the testing groups favourite I Love Pies pie, ahead of many meat-based versions. Interesting, huh?
This is a good, honest pie thats worthy of your attention after a hards days work.
The Bakers Son Mince & Cheese ($4.49 for 200g)
This Hibiscus Coast-based company nails the classic Kiwi flavour in this award-winning pie. The pastry is sturdy rather than flaky, but thats a good contrast to the thick tide of mince-rich gravy and cheese that oozes out when you cut into it. This pie got the thumbs-up from all testers, which was a hard thing to achieve (pie preferences are intensely personal). This is a good, honest pie thats worthy of your attention after a hard days work.
Good, crisp pastry, nice juicy pieces of lamb shoulder and a pleasant gravy. Whats not to love?
Who Ate All The Pies? Lamb, Thyme & Rosemary ($5.30 for 200g)
In the course of my research, I discovered there are very few lamb pies in our supermarkets. There are even fewer good ones. Thank goodness then for this meaty offering, made in Dunedin. Good, crisp pastry, nice juicy pieces of lamb shoulder and a pleasant gravy. If youre feeding a bigger group, this pie also comes in a family size that should feed four.
This vegan option is streets ahead of many other meaty competitors.
The Bakers Son Vegan Mince & Cheddar* ($5.50 for 200g)
After nailing the traditional meat-and-dairy combo, The Bakers Son have future-proofed themselves by making a jolly fine vegan option. While an online reviewer said this pie looks terrifyingly like a meat pie, I thought it was one of the better vegetarian pies I came across during testing. Vegans can take heart; all the ingredients are plant-based and this pie has vegan certification from the New Zealand Vegetarian Society. Its not quite as good as the meat-based version to my palate (see above), but its streets ahead of many other meaty competitors.