Pies hit the right spot in contest

By Kath Gannaway
PEOPLE often compliment Healesville pastrycook Julian Borg on his great Aussie meat pies.
Now he has a medal to prove it.
Mr Borg, who owns AJ’s Bakery in Maroondah Highway, won a bronze medal in the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition for his plain meat pie.
Working through the night, Mr Borg and his right-hand pastrycook John Davies roll out about 500 pies a week.
The men were particularly thrilled to get a third place in their first try at the competition and were encouraged by the judges’ comments.
Mr Borg said they were very impressed with the filling, which he said was the result of using good quality meat and getting the texture and gravy just right.
With a little tweaking of the pastry, Mr Borg says a gold medal in the 2007 Great Aussie Pie Competition is anything but pie in the sky.