Would you pay $50 for a pie? Hanmer bakery says Kiwis are lining up
- Publish date
- Tuesday, 13 Jan 2026, 10:37AM
We caught up with PJ’s Pies owner and baker Jim Bratschi on the show today, and let’s just say… this isn’t your standard mince and cheese.
A Hanmer Springs bakery is causing a stir with what might just be New Zealand’s most expensive pie. Yep, a cool fifty bucks for a single pastry.
What’s inside the $50 pie?
This isn’t some novelty gimmick. Jim says the crayfish pie is a full-on gourmet experience.
Inside you’ll find:
• Premium crayfish meat sourced from Kaikōura
• Creamy mash
• Leek
• Cream
• Waipara wine
• And wait for it… a whole bottle of cognac in the batch
No skimping here.
Who’s behind it?
Owners Kate and Jim Bratschi are Swiss-trained chefs, so they know a thing or two about fancy food. They wanted to create something genuinely special, not just expensive for the sake of it.
It’s gone viral
A TikTok video revealing the $50 price tag has taken off, with people across the country debating whether it’s genius or madness.
Spoiler alert… people are absolutely buying them.
How popular are we talking?
• Customers are travelling from out of town just to try one
• One couple dropped $300 on six pies
• Orders keep rolling in
Jim says they make them in small batches, and each pie is baked separately to meet food safety rules. So no mass production here.
How do you get one?
You can:
• Pre-order
• Or wait around 45 minutes in-store while it’s freshly baked
Good things take time.
Is it NZ’s most expensive pie?
The bakery reckons it is… and honestly, it’s hard to argue.
So… madness or gourmet genius?
Fifty bucks for a pie might sting the wallet, but judging by the sales, plenty of Kiwis reckon it’s worth every cent.
Would you try one?
