Champion pie maker improving skills everyday

And helping him on his path to reach that goal is none other than one of New Zealand’s most awarded bakers, the pie king himself, Patrick Lam.

The Apprentice Pie Maker Award is a national competition to judge the pie-making standard of bakers training towards a New Zealand Certificate in Trade Baking. Apprentices need to enter two pies in the competition, a mince and cheese, and a gourmet meat, which gives them scope to show their innovative and creative skills.

While English is a second language to Cambodian-born Kéo and he is still mastering it, his bakery skills show that there are no language barriers to making great bakery food. What did surprise him though, after his win, were people’s reactions to him. “When my friends and family first hear that I won, they are shocked and then happy. They couldn’t believe that I really won, not just my friends and family, but also my boss, Mr. Patrick Lam, too. “Winning the award has completely changed my life because many customers came to our shop, recognised me as the apprenticeship pie winner, and loved the pie I won with.

First time in my life being accepted by many people,” says Kéo. He has now completed the first strand in his apprenticeship and will no doubt be eyeing up his future chances of entering the Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards. A rather humble baker, Kéo still believes he has a lot to learn about baking and that is exciting for him. “I don’t think I am a better pie maker, I’m just lucky that I got a good master baker, Mr. Patrick Lam. He shows me how it works. And I keep improving my skills every day by making, learning and earning experience and keep trying. It is really awesome and an honor that I can be trained by the multi-award-winning baker.” Pies are still Kéo’s favourite bakery item to make and to eat. “The thing that I like to bake the most, it’s still pie because pie is traditional in New Zealand and New Zealand has the best pie in the world. You take every bite from your pie and the taste of pastry and the meat mixed in your mouth, that moment is really happy.”

Kéo says being a baker is a good career and doing an apprenticeship helps you get started. “I would always encourage other people to become a baker. Because baking is really fun and when you see the look on people’s faces trying your food, and they give you a thumbs up, that feeling is awesome.” Entries for the 2026 Apprentice Pie Maker Awards open on April 27 and the winner will be announced on June 11. As an apprentice baker, are you up for the challenge? See pieawards.nz for details.