Watch: Apprentice pie maker competition heats up

Judges of the Apprentice Pie Maker competition say they look for the best appearance and filling in the pies being put forward.

Bakels NZ managing director Brent Kersel told Breakfast they investigate each of the pies by cutting into them, looking at how evenly each filling was distributed and what each filling was. They also judged the bottoms of the pies and how golden the pastry was.

"Today gives them the best opportunity to show their skills."

Each participant must be an apprentice in training for a three-year period, Kersel explained. They were required to be registered and to hand in their workbooks and on-job training for proof.

There were 28 entries in this year's competition, with the winner set to be announced next month at the Supreme Pie Awards.