That’s the basic backstory behind Norman’s Proppa Pies, a new bayside bakery owned by Dave Pannell and Brad Balbi, the pair behind St Kilda coffee-to-spritz-to-nightcap institution Sorsi e Morsi, just around the corner.
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That → ’ → corner
It’s Pannell’s childhood being channelled.
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childhood → ’ → ?
A navy chef who would make pies for weekend caravanning trips, Norman’s shepherd’s pies (with lamb mince) and cottage pies (with beef) were specialties, both topped with mashed potato, and often inscribed with sentimental messages.
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both → make → messages
For his part, Balbi grew up in bakeries in Far North Queensland, and was roped into pie duties on weekends.
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Balbi → grow → weekends
When the pair started thinking about a second St Kilda operation, a pie shop seemed perfect, especially because there’s nothing similar nearby.
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shop → start → operation
Everything is house-made, including two types of pastry.
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Everything → make → pastry
The shortcrust for the base starts with boiling water, butter and vinegar, then the liquid is worked into the flour, making for a smooth, sturdy dough.
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liquid → start → dough
The puff pastry tops are extravagantly layered and buttery rich, the pastry crisp to the bite but without shattering so dramatically that you wear more than you eat.
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you → shatter → more
Beef is the bedrock, with brisket slow-braised in beef stock with 13 herbs and spices, including a secret ingredient I guessed but will refrain from sharing so I live to pie another day.
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I → braise → ingredient
The tender, lively stew is slurried with flour and tumbled into bases, ready for joy.
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stew → slurrie → joy
The beefy base is also mixed with fresh jalapenos and Stilton to make a funky, spicy blue cheese and chilli pie, and a pub-style creamy green peppercorn sauce amps up another beef option.
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sauce → mix → option
There’s also an excellent butter chicken number, made with whole roast chickens (the bones go into the beef stock) plus a vegetarian cauliflower pie with three-cheese sauce.
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bones → ’ → sauce
Sausage rolls are serious business so it’s good there are two: a pork version that leans British, and an Aussie-style beef one.
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that → ’ → ?
Norman took his shepherd’s pie recipe to the grave but surely he’d be proud of this one: Lamb mince is cooked for hours with mushrooms, rosemary and bay leaves, spooned into its pastry casing, and topped with a swirl of buttery mash.
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mince → take → mash
The sweet range includes a rhubarb and strawberry pie, and chocolate cream pie, an English indulgence which features custard mixed with melted chocolate to form a silky filling.
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which → include → filling
We now know about Norman but what about “proppa”?
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We → know → proppa
To lean even more to Blighty, Pannell and Balbi are planning to open select nights to serve the “pie and pea supper”, an alternative to the post-pub spice bag.
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Pannell → lean → bag
A couple of caveats: One time I came for a potato-topped pie and it had dried out considerably in the warmer.
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it → come → warmer
You also need to consider how well-placed you are to enjoy a pie with gravy, and especially with mushy peas.
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you → need → peas
This is not a one-hand car situation, it’s a full-on dining project.
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it → ’ → ?
Until bench seats are installed here, a home dining table with cutlery is ideal.
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table → instal → cutlery
Maybe that’s how it should be, anyway.
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it → ’ → ?
So much work goes into these pies, it’s only proper they’re eaten with a little ceremony.
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they → go → ceremony
Three more great pie shops to try
Rolling Pin Pies
This consistent award-winner has outlets around Geelong and the Bellarine.
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winner → try → Geelong
It just cleaned up in the gourmet categories of the Great Aussie Pie Comp with their kangaroo rendang number, the “Bombay beef” and masala mash, and a barbecued brisket, jalapeno and cheese pie.
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It → clean → number
It’s easier than you think to strike gold at Sovereign Hill – just head to the pie shop.
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you → ’ → shop
A traditional wood-fired Scotch oven is used to bake Cornish pasties with apple, various steak pies and renowned sausage rolls.
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oven → fire → apple
You’ll probably need a Banbury tart (with currants) and some miner’s biscuits, too.
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You → need → currants
A good option, whether you’re roadtripping through Yack, where the Gum Tree production kitchen is, or swinging by outposts in Wodonga or Bright.
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kitchen → roadtrippe → Wodonga
Vegetarians have good options, such as the Penang pumpkin and creamy cauliflower.
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Vegetarians → have → pumpkin
10 High Street, Yackandandah, gumtreepies.com.au
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently.
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reviews → book → ?
A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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restaurant → pay → Guide
The Aporia
