Sanga’s Pies

Started in 2021 and already a staple in hot cabinets across the South Island, you’ve likely spotted the golden glow of a Sanga’s pie during your Central Otago adventures. 

It all began when Cromwell-born brothers, Chris and Rob Sangster, went out in search of the perfect pie – a hunt that ultimately led them to create their own in collaboration with chef Miro Kollar. After more than 15 years running their construction business, Chris and Rob’s experience as tradies had unknowingly prepared them for this bold new endeavour. The transition from pro pie eaters to creators proved to be an immediate hit.

Today, Sanga’s crafts thousands of pies by hand each week, delivering them to over 60 suppliers and stocking the shelves of their own HQ bakery, tucked away on Chardonnay Street in Cromwell. Despite its out-of-the-way location in an industrial setting, these pies prove that people will go out of their way to experience something great – and the little bakery window attracts a crowd as large as it is diverse. Visitors range from early-morning tradies grabbing a pie and a can of V (you’ve got to respect tradition) to 70-year-old book club members, food enthusiasts from afar, and everyone in between. The bakery offers plenty of wooden barrels and picnic tables, so you can enjoy your treats alongside other locals without rushing off and leaving a trail of crumbs in your car.

Sanga’s Pies offer a more gourmet twist on the standard dairy or petrol station equivalent, while still honouring the key characteristics of a flaky, no-fuss treat that you can eat on the go with two hands. There’s something to tickle all taste buds, with around 15 inventive, cheeky and nostalgic flavours hitting the menu each day. The Baby Boomer keeps mince pie purists happy, Holy Smoke is a hearty steak and cheese classic, and veggie lovers will never feel neglected so long as Hey Dahl! is around. Each pie is filled with premium meat sourced from local farmers and seasonal veggies and herbs lovingly grown in their own garden. Sanga’s also brews a wickedly good cup of coffee using local Higher Ground beans, and there’s a selection of fresh ‘sangawiches’ for those on a pastry break.

They may be relatively new to the pie game, but Sanga’s are strong contenders for the best in New Zealand.