What makes Hamilton's $98 'glorified pie' so special?
It costs about the same price as 14 local bakery pies.
How much would you pay for a pie?
Not the classic mince and cheese from the local bakery, but a posh one - a really posh one.
Well at Hamilton restaurant Thyme Square, the Beef Wellington would set you back a whopping $98.
Chef Logan Murray from Thyme Square in Hamilton.
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The pie's creator and chef Logan Murray has humbly coined the term 'glorified pie'.
But what makes this pie so special and about the same price as 14 local bakery pies?
Murray told Checkpoint a reason for the price point was because it was crafted from one of the most expensive cuts of a cow - the tender eye fillet.
"It's just an amazing dish and it tends to please the crowd. Yeah, I've struggled to take it off the menu since it's been on there," he said.
After being cured, smoked and wrapped in prosciutto and mushroom duxelles, the pie - designed to share - takes about two or three days to prepare before it ready to go in the oven.
About 300 grams of eye fillet fills the pie, which is cooked in the oven for 26 minutes before being served.
"It's one of those dishes that people come in, they love it, they come back for it, they tell their friends and, yeah, delicious," he said.
"It's a rare occasion that you see beef eye fillet on the menu and so I refuse to, kind of, take those nicer cuts off, you know, keep people eating those nice proteins."
But the whole concept of the pie and its restaurant boiled down to appreciating time and being present.
"It's about reminding people that dining out is a special thing. It's not about coming eating going home and being done in 20 minutes its about coming in being present with your company," Murray said.
"They majority of our cliental will bring in a nice bottle buy a Beef Wellington and sit and appreciate the company they have.
"The whole purpose of what we are trying to do here is, time is precious, so make the most of it while you are here.
The so called 'glorified pie' was taken off the menu once before, but following pie protests, it would not be happening again, Murray said.
