Whites Northward Grocer butcher Connor White takes out two gold medals at the 2020 The Great Aussie Pie Competition

A Townsville butcher has turned his passion for a great cut of meat into award-winning puff pastry’s.

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A Townsville butcher has turned his passion for a great cut of meat into award-winning puff pastries.

Whites Northward Grocer butcher and piemaker Connor White has spent the past seven years building a portfolio of 30 pie flavours.

He said his pie portfolio started from just one recipe. “I had a tin of peas about to go out of date on the shelf and I said I was going to put them in a pie,” he said.

“I made six pies out of the tin of peas and everyone really enjoyed them so I started making more.”

At 2020’s The Great Aussie Pie Competition, Mr White took out two gold, one silver and three bronze medals. It was the third year he entered the competition, taking out his first gold medals for his pork katsu curry and Korean katsu chicken pies.

Mr White said he was proud to be recognised for his desire to reinvent the humble meat pie with fillings such as prawns, veal, chorizo, lamb and truffle pork. “I am over the moon with the win and I am so stoked to have the title and say, I have some of the best meat pies in Australia,” he said.

“I was listening to the judges’ feedback every year so I guess I finally got right what they asked me to do.”

The 27-year-old recently launched a sweet pie range and said the best thing about a meat pie was the endless filling possibilities.

“I love how creative you can get with them, and being a butcher you are working with food all day and some combinations pop into you head,” he said.

Originally published as Whites Northward Grocer butcher Connor White takes out two gold medals at the 2020 The Great Aussie Pie Competition