And the winner of Ballarat’s Best Pie is…

The Shared Table's Sher Wagyu Reuben pie has won top prize in Ballarat’s Best Pie 2026.

Weaving locally-sourced ingredients into a tried-and-true flavour profile, the savoury sensation features braised wagyu with pastrami flavours, sauerkraut, cheese, dressing and pickles in a rye flour pastry.

The decadent dish was also crowned Best Savoury Pie at the Ballarat's Best Pie 2026 awards ceremony at Itinerant Spirits on Saturday 1 August.

The judging panel of pie connoisseurs featured acclaimed Melbourne chef Alejandro Saravia; Herald Sun food and wine editor Kara Monssen; MasterChef Australia semi-finalist and Good Chef Bad Chef co-host Tim Bone; veteran food writer Richard Cornish; and City of Ballarat Deputy Mayor Cr Ben Taylor.

All the 2026 winners

Ballarat's Best Pie

• Grand prize: The Shared Table's Sher Wagyu Reuben pie
• Second: Cookie Cult's Struck Gold & It's Sticky pie (available at Yellow Espresso)
• Third: The Buninyong Hotel's Sri Lankan chicken curry pie

Best Savoury Pie

• The Shared Table's Sher Wagyu Reuben pie

Best Sweet Pie

• Cookie Cult's Struck Gold & It's Sticky pie (available at Yellow Espresso)

Best Bakery Pie

• Sovereign Hill's slow-cooked blade steak pepper pie

Brilliantly Unexpected Pie

• Flying Chillies' pandan flower pie (available at The Salty Sparrow Cafe and selected local markets)

Each category winner was awarded a hand-painted pie dish crafted by Ballarat's ceramics queen Shelby Sherritt.

Available throughout August, this year's Ballarat's Best Pie line-up features 30 savoury and sweet showstoppers at some of the city’s top bakeries, cafes, restaurants and bars.

And once again, every pie lover can become a critic by voting for the People’s Choice Pie for the chance to win a luxury Ballarat escape valued at over $1200.