Is this the best pie on the highway?

So anyways, we’re on our way back home from Mooloolaba.

It’s another mini road-trip: Mooloolaba- Armidale, Armidale- Sydney.

It’s Australia Day tomorrow and I’m about to talk about pies…or more specifically, meat pies. Vegans and coeliacs turn away now.

I’m not about to discuss your average buy in a bag from a service station meat pie…or even the ordinary country town bakery meat pie filled with mostly gravy and encased in pastry that leaves an oil slick behind on your lips. It’s not even the type of pie best eaten at the football with a beer.

No, the pies I’m talking about are the road-trip legend pies. The pies that are worth stopping for, worth detouring for, worth their own Trip Advisor mention. And yes, I’m aware that a post about meat pies does not belong on a blog that features a weekly Operation Excess Baggage update.

Federation Pies from the Kitchen Garden Cafe at Tenterfield are those sorts of pies. Just ask Trip Advisor:

‘This is the best meat pie I’ve had so far.’

‘The pies had lots of chunky meat and no gristle’

‘The pies were unbelievable…real meat, real veggies.’

Ok, so there were a couple of complaints from people who wanted a gluten free alternative…but yes, these pies are fabulous.

So we asked Miss T the big question:

‘But are they better than Fredo’s Pies?’

A very good question indeed. You see, when we first decided to skip the coastal traffic and take the inland route, the first comment she made was:

‘What about Fredo’s? We have to stop at Fredo’s.’

Fredo’s is located at Frederickton on the Pacific Highway, and yes, are a reason on to stop. They have a larger range and even have vegetarian options. But are they the best?

She took a bite and considered her answer carefully…

‘These are definitely the best pies on this highway.’ Then she grinned, ‘but I prefer the other road- the one that goes up the coast.’

Fair enough.

And the name, Federation Pies? Aside from being the hometown of entertainer Peter Allen (the song Tenterfield Saddler was written for his grandfather), Tenterfield is also the town credited with being the birthplace of Australian Federation. Miss T didn’t seem impressed by either of these facts….but we were all impressed by the pies.