Gourmet pies go online
Canterbury man Craig Mineham has been making pies for almost 20 years, but now he has taken his gourmet creations online.
Mineham started the business in 1999 as the Bridge Street Bakehouse in South Brighton and renamed it Hope River Pies after the earthquakes.
This year the bakery moved to Lyttelton and launched an online store for fresh pie deliveries around Christchurch.
Growing up on the remote Glenhope Station in Lewis Pass, he helped his mother prepare hearty, nourishing meals for a hungry crew of shearers.
His talent for pies developed at the Bridge Street Bakehouse and these days they're his sole focus and passion.
The meat is slow cook, allowing the flavours to develop and intensify. "That's crucial, especially for a pie like the beef cheek, wine and grain mustard," he says.
"Pies are a perfect like package for delicious fillings and we don't rush the process. I'm constantly refining."
Hope River Pies are available from hoperiverpies.co.nz as well as a number of markets and cafes around town.
