Wonder Pies — Restaurant in Melbourne

review no. 133 of 2024 Wonder Pies

So it was a short walk from Coburg to Coburg North passing through the old Pentidge Prison.

I was invited down to Wonder Pies by world renowned chef Raymond Capaldi and his partner Jodi to sample some of their products and a tour of their bakery which is located in Coburg North. Ray has worked at some of the best restaurants around the globe.

They started in 2018 in Bulleen. Ray wanted to put a different spin on pies and make gourmet style pies affordable. Then covid hit, the Andrews government covid laws hit them hard as well as many Victorian businesses, but they've come through the other side stronger than before. Since then they've moved to a larger location in Coburg North in Dec 2022.

They have a dedicated small team of employees that work at the bakery that can produce up to 25,000 hand crafted pies a day. Other pastries and cakes are also baked on the premises. Some of the events they supply their products to are the Australian Tennis Open and the Australian F1 Grand Prix. They have various pop up locations around Melbourne, supply pies to, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth and Jenny's Bakery in Adelaide. Ray has also had involvement with Meals On Wheels, developing a nutritious and healthy menu. They've developed a slightly cheaper product but just as good, under the name Nana Fraser's. All the produce is locally sourced, veg, fruit and meat. The meat is locally sourced too and all handled by a mobile slaughterhouse that's Victorian owned. The fact they've kept everything in house is supporting Victorians for Victoria. They've also developed another venture called - The Newlands Quarter There's a large space within the bakery you can hire out. Some of the key features are - Seating for 80 guests, Chef's table for up to 18 guests, sit down cocktail events, conferencing, private screening and film studio hire.

So.... at last I've met someone with the same thinking as me, a pie should be able to be eaten one handed without the pie falling apart. Genius 👌 It was great to have a look around at the wonderful bakery at Wonder Pies. Enough of that let's get to the good bit, the food.

Beef Cheek Pie On the menu, Beef Cheek Pie, Mash Potato, Peas, Salad and for Dessert Apple Pie & Ice Cream.

The pie.... Oh my god did it look fantastic ! I can't get over the sheen on the lid of the pie. Photos don't do it any justice. Wow I was just blown away with the presentation. The sides and base were of a uniform colour. The bake was spot on all the way around, the pastry was of an even thickness around the pie too. The pastry was slightly crisp, with a slightly crunchy texture on the palate. A+ in the pastry department.

Beef cheek is a cut of meat I haven't tried, so this was going to be an interesting experience. The pie looked full, you couldn't fit anymore in. The meat to gravy ratio was spot on as was the consistency of the filing. The pie stability, excellent. You could ride a bike one handed and eat this pie with ease 👌 The serving temp spot on. How did it taste ? Amazing, shredded beef cheek in a flavoursome gravy. It was mouthwatering delicious. The filling was seasoned nicely, I could taste woody notes in the filling which was wrapped in a delicious pastry with buttery notes, I was totally sold. I never score pies but if I had to it's a solid 10/10. Accompanied with the most creamy, velvety and buttery mash potato and fresh peas was certainly a meal fit for a king, except he was sick at home. Ray did send his apologies. Dessert consisted of apple pie and ice cream. This was how an apple pie should be made, with fresh apples You can certainly taste the difference. Had the right amount of tartness on the palate served with the most amazing ice cream i've had in my life ! The bakery has an outlet below, selling all of Ray's amazing creations. And has indoor and outdoor dining areas.

I can't thank you and your staff enough for having me in and showing me around. Special thanks to Jodi.

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13th March. Have just been to WONDER PIES and like the name their pies are WONDERFULLL ! Met the proprietors Ray and Jodi and staff Alejandro and Sara, who were very friendly and welcoming. They have a fantastic range of pies, pasties and sausage rolls to choose from. My wife, daughter and myself tasted the lamb and rosemary, Moroccan lamb, chicken and mushroom, beef and gravy, as well as their sausage rolls and pasties which we took home with us. All were delicious! I recommend this place to anyone who loves pies and other baked goods. After reading about them in the Herald Sun I had to go and see for myself what all the hype was about and I was not disappointed. I usually go to country bakeries as they always seem to make the best pies but WONDER PIES are equal to the task and in the local suburb of Coburg North. The trip to WONDER PIES is worth the effort where you will be welcomed with incredible hospitality and delicious pies. Catch up with you in the near future Ray and Jodi to taste some more of your delicious range. I only had 3 pies today because my wife and daughter stopped me!!!

Sunday 23rd April . Today l returned to try the much anticipated Scallop pie with Japanese curry flavour. I was addicted to it so much that l ate half of my daughters and tried to take an extra mouthful from my wife. We also tried the Shepherds pie and the Thai chicken which were just as tempting. We finished of with coffee and sweets to round off a pleasant and relaxing afternoon. I was so impressed l bought another 10 different pies to have at home with the family. Next visit l will try the Beef & Red Wine which wasn’t available, Cauliflower, Leek & Cheese and Steak, Onion & Ale. I believe by then l should have tasted most of the menu list. Thanks again to the team at Wonder Pies. 👍 l think I may ask Ray to give me a job as a taste tester if he brings out...

My partner bought me a gluten free chicken and vegetable pie from wonder pies over the weekend. I took a bite of it and the pastry was so good that I thought I had mistakenly been given a regular chicken and vegetable pie. I immediately stopped eating the pie because I was sure that it must contain gluten and that in 45 minutes I would experience the awful symptoms of having consumed gluten. I was very pleasantly surprised to find after some time passed that the pie that I had taken a bite out of was actually really a gluten free pie. I then gobbled up every delicious morsel and soon afterwards took to the internet to buy more of these amazing gluten free pies. I just devoured a gluten free beef and gravy pie and I can say that these pies are easily the BEST gluten free pies you can buy in Melbourne without question. I have been on a mission to find a decent gluten free pie for a couple of years now and I have tried many, after eating the gluten free pies made by wonder pies my quest is finally over. Great pastry, delicious...