Red Neds Gourmet Pie Bar

Red Neds Gourmet Pie Bar has been part of Nelson Bay since 1997, when master pie maker Barry Kelly opened the original gourmet pie shop. The name references Ned Kelly: Barry’s surname is Kelly, and the shop’s life-size Ned Kelly model still stands outside. The venue’s history is closely tied to pie making, with the business saying it has won well over 100 national awards, including 21 Gold Medals.

The menu is notably broad for a pie shop. Red Neds bakes up to 45 varieties each day, covering beef, lamb, pork, kangaroo, chicken, seafood, vegetarian and dessert pies, alongside gourmet sausage rolls and chips. The website says ingredients are sourced locally where possible, while vegetables and herbs are also grown in the business’s own organic garden. Pies are made using the shop’s own recipes, with some recipes retained for many years.

Several offerings have their own award or customer following. The Beef Stroganoff with Mushrooms and Sour Cream is described as the shop’s most awarded pie, with nine medals including gold. Other distinctive choices include Steak, Cheese and Jalapeno; Thai Satay Chicken, which has won eight medals including gold; and the seafood combination of lobster, prawn and barramundi in coconut sauce. There are also options such as Deluxe Vegetarian, made with nine vegetables, and dessert pies including Apple and Blackberry.

Red Neds is a practical stop for visitors exploring Nelson Bay and Port Stephens who want to try an established local speciality rather than a standard bakery range. Its long-running reputation, extensive choice and awards make it particularly appealing to pie enthusiasts, while the mix of savoury, vegetarian and dessert options gives different tastes something to choose from. For larger orders, the shop asks customers to phone through the order the day before. The business is now run by Sam Leitch, who took over in 2019 and has continued the shop’s competition success, including 16 medals in the Best Aussie Pie Competition.