Anyone who has ever renovated knows that unexpected hitches can turn a tiny extension into a major drama. For us, there was a small problem – we weren’t allowed to have customer parking in front of the store anymore, so it forced us to think outside the box. More specifically, we were forced to think backwards.

The new ‘front’ entrance at the rear of the building.

Flipping everything back to front

In an unusual move we decided to flip the layout, moving the front entrance to the back of the store. We literally turned our entire business around to accommodate the new 50 space carpark at the rear of the premises, ending the chaos of on-street parking and creating an ordered space for our customers.

As an added bonus the new car spaces are super-sized, offering a roomy 2.8 metres per car park as opposed to the standard 2.4 metres. That’s welcome news for tradies with work utes, parents with prams, time-poor commuters and anyone whose parking skills could use a bit of extra finesse.

“The Quarterdeck Cafe” built in 1951

From 1950’s kitsch to new millenium cool

We now happily seat up to 150 customers, but our origins were far more humble. The café started life in 1955 as a weatherboard shack called “The Quarterdeck”, and the owners carried the nautical theme through to the kitschy lino floors and cut-outs of ships.

It continued as the quarterdeck under a few owners and with a few minor alterations through the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s & 90’s until becoming a Mexican restaurant around the turn of the century. Even then nothing much had changed until we took it over in 2006. Remarkably even in a climate such as ours the building had no heating, no gas, no fireplace and no ducted heating – in fact, they used cheap blow heaters under the tables to keep their customers warm!

Having a bit of fun at the coffee machine!

Pies, pies, more pies…. And coffee!

We’ve since invested a lot of time and money in the property, overseeing its transformation to one of the biggest pie shops in Australia. We’re already selling a massive 1200 pies per day, and have plans to double that within the next 3 – 5 years.

With that exhausting output of pies, we have matched it with a second coffee machine, making twice the number of barista-made coffees for our satisfied customers (and our hardworking team!) Time is important for our customers on the run and eating in, and our expanded coffee making facilities gets those coffees delivered into their hands nice and fast!

We look forward to seeing you at our renovated shop soon

The post About Our Recent Rebuild and Renovations appeared first on Mountain High Pies.

Guess what we hear most from our customers early in the morning? “Thank God you’re here”.

The early bird gets the caffeine

Opening at 6am in the morning, we’re here when you need us for that early morning caffeine hit. Whether you’re a tradie on the way to your first job of the day, a commuter running for a train, or a parent trying to juggle school drop offs, our doors are always open during the morning peak hour. In fact, we often serve more than 200 coffees before 9am.

In and out in five minutes…. guaranteed

We know that your time is precious, and we use a timer to ensure that your coffee is ready within 3 minutes of ordering, so we don’t hold up your day; we don’t want you missing the train or running late for the first bell at school.

Our most popular coffee is the standard flat white with full cream milk, but we also offer gluten-free soy milk too. We also offer a wide range of coffee and tea varieties.

Popular breakfast picks

And we don’t just do coffee. For breakfast on the run, our full range of pies are available and ready to serve from 6am onwards. Whether you’re in a rush to get to a client, drop the kids off or beat the peak hour traffic, you can grab your coffee or tea and brekkie to go and you’ll be on your way in no time. Check out our menu options here!

Our most popular sellers for breakfast (apart from coffee of course?)

1. Quiches
2. Sausage rolls
3. Cookies

Not surprisingly, our best-selling breakfast items are easy to eat one-handed, while you’re wrangling a mobile phone, briefcase, several small children or a takeway cappuccino. We pride ourselves on delivering a high quality, consistent blend of coffee that will make you smile and put a spring in your step. Even at 6am.

The post Get Your Early Bird Coffee From 6am appeared first on Mountain High Pies.

1. Best View: The Three Sisters at Katoomba

You may have seen it in photos but there’s nothing like visiting this iconic site in person. The Three Sisters at Katoomba is one of the most uniquely recognised natural landmarks in all of Australia, and if you’re visiting the Blue Mountains it’s one of those “bucket list” experiences you’ll never forget. You can view it from a number of vantage points, and if you’re brave you can also see it from the Scenic Skyway cable car. Everyone needs to take a selfie with the Sisters!

One of the many beautiful waterfalls.

2. Best Walking Trail: Charles Darwin Walk at Wentworth Falls

The best thing about the mountains is that so many of its attractions are free of charge. The Charles Darwin Walk is one of the loveliest trails in the mountains, and its gently sloping hills and short distance make it accessible to almost everyone. This is 2.4 kilometres of gorgeous bushland, and it was named for Darwin himself after he walked this trail back in 1836. Strolling the boardwalk, you will see rock pools, hanging swamps and lots of wildlife.

The iconic Hydro Majestic Hotel

3. Best Historical Site: Hydro Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath

Seen from the highway, the Hydro Majestic Hotel has a long and colourful history. It has recently been restored to its former glory after years of neglect, and is now a sparkling little historical gem in the upper mountains. The heritage listed building is unique for its mish mash of different architectural styles, including Art Deco and Edwardian. It opened as a luxury health retreat in 1906, and now adds a generous dash of golden-era glamour to the local landscape.

Yum Yum! I love Pies!

4. Best Food: Mountain High Pies at Wentworth Falls

We might be biased, but we think our pies are the best in the Blue Mountains. But don’t just take our word for it… We recently won three out of four major awards at the “Great Aussie Pie Competition”, scooping the pool with our unique Brekky Pie – you can read more about that here in one of our other blog articles. We were also voted the “Best Pies in the Blue Mountains” on the official Blue Mountains Facebook page, emerging as the clear favourites against some stiff local competition.

The stunning waterfall view at the rest area.

5. Best Kept Secret: The Water Nymph’s Dell Wentworth Falls

This lush little site is off the beaten track, so it’s one of those best-kept secrets that only locals know about. Once you start walking down the trail you’ll feel like you’re back in prehistoric times, surrounded by pristine natural rainforest, melodic bird song and the rustling of wildlife in the ground cover. The only way you’ll know that you’re still in the modern era is the little picnic table at the rest area. It’s one of those hidden gems that most people never get to see. This walk is not for people who struggle with steps – there are literally hundreds of steps to reach the valley floor, but the effort is very much worth the gorgeous Dell at the bottom! Find out more about the Water Nymph’s Dell here.

As mentioned at the start of the article this is just a quick little blog post and only lists a few of the great attractions here at the Blue Mountains. We will add other attractions to our website soon and also other blog posts featuring even more. There is SOO much to see and do!

The post 5 of the Best Things to Do in the Blue Mountains appeared first on Mountain High Pies.

Our ethos is about catering to everyone in the family, so we have a range of pies that are suitable for people with allergies, intolerances or other dietary requirements. We developed our range with the help of Reyna’s sister who is an acclaimed vegetarian chef who operates two vegetarian restaurants in Spain.

Vegetarian and 100% vegan options

Our most popular vegetarian pie is the Tomato, Corriander and Lentil option, and it’s also one of the cheapest items on our menu. The Roast Vegetable Pie comes in a close second as a favourite, and it is extra yummy with added gravy! These simple, classic recipes have resonated with many of our customers, and they continue to perform as two of the best-selling pies across the entire range.

Our other vegetarian selections include Chickpea and Curried Vegetables; Pumpkin, Cashew and Leek; Spinach and Feta. We also make a Vegetable Sausage Roll, which is a delightful veggie twist on the original. Our vegan options include Dhansak and Curried Vegetables and Tomato, Coriander and Lentil pies. Be sure to check them out in our hot pies showcase.

Gluten-free and other dietary requirements

We have a good selection of gluten-free options, with three available in the savoury range and another three in the sweet range. We source the gluten-free pastry from a Gluten Free pastry company that exclusively makes GF pastry products ensuring no cross contamination, we then bake them with our own GF fillings.

We also have a number of dairy-free choices available, in addition to other popular requests like onion-free and pepper-free options. Our diverse menu ensures that no one in the family misses out – and all of them are delicious too.

We look forward to seeing you at our shop. Note too, you can place orders over the phone and arrange pick-up.

The post Where Can I Buy the Best Vegetarian Pies in Sydney? appeared first on Mountain High Pies.

It’s a custard tart. Served hot!

Introducing the Hot Custard Tart

We’ve gone back to basics, creating a rich, delicious custard filling that evokes a sense of comfort and nostalgia. Harking back to the good old days, a simple combination of fresh ingredients is what makes these tarts unique, and where many other bakeries use premix fillings, we make the custard from scratch. Think milk, sugar, eggs and cornflour, topped with a dash of nutmeg and served hot. A tiny taste of heaven wrapped in a warm comfy pastry blanket.

Takeaways and Family Traditions

The hot custard tart has developed a cult following, and people make their way up the mountains specifically to grab a tart… or twenty. They’re a popular takeaway item, and many customers will stop to stock up with a ‘sneaky dozen’ as a ready-made dessert to take home. Others order in bulk for Christmas, because the hot custard tart has become part of their family tradition. They can be consumed immediately or reheated, and will last up to five days in the fridge.

The one catch is that you won’t find them anywhere else, so to get your hands on one you’ll need to make your way up here to see us at Mountain High Pies. They go nicely with a hot cup of coffee too.

The post Hot Custard Tarts: Breathing New Life into a Much-Loved Classic appeared first on Mountain High Pies.

Anyway, Olympics aside, today I want to write about the “Great Aussie Pie Competition” – it’s a highly-esteemed yearly event that awards the best pie makers in Australia, and believe me, the competition is fierce!

It is run in conjunction with the Fine Food Festival and the competition is open to any commercial pie manufacturer here in Australia, with hundreds of entrants vying for the chance to win just one of the major prizes. In 2015 we dominated the field, taking out three of the four major awards.

The Awards

The award for “Best Traditional Beef Pie” is highly coveted but “Best Gourmet Pie” is the most hotly-contested category. Our love of food and fine dining has seen the pie evolve beyond its humble origins to incorporate a diverse number of flavour combinations, and this award recognises the finest creators in the field. There are also several sub-category awards, and last year they added a new major title: “Most Innovative Pie”.

The Big Brekkie Pie.

Our Winning Pie

We scooped the pool at the last event and our team (at the time of writing) are the current reigning champions, with an impressive swag of awards: “Best Brekky Pie”, “Best Gourmet Pie” and “Most Innovative Pie”. It was a truly extraordinary achievement, and it scored us a front cover feature in Baking Magazine, one of the most well-respected industry titles.

So what’s in our winning pie? Take a crisp, golden pastry case and fill it with sausages, home-made baked beans, chorizo, mashed potato and bacon. Next, bake the pie and gently place a soft poached egg on top. Drizzle with creamy hollandaise sauce and you’ve got the Brekky Pie – one of the best gourmet pies in Australia.

Our Next Challenge

Our win at the national competition made front page news in the Blue Mountains, with sales of the Brekky Pie soaring by tenfold. The pressure is on for us to come up with an all-new entry for this years competition, and we are excited to be defending our title. That being said, plans for “The Best Aussie Pie” Version 2.0 remains top secret for now. Watch this space… OR visit us in-store…

The post Our Award-Winning Team are Officially the Best Pie Makers in Australia appeared first on Mountain High Pies.