Meat+Poultry - December 2021 - 87

G'Day Gourmet introduces Aussie meat pies
to New Jersey food truck customers
BY STEVE KRUT | meatpoult r y@sosland.com
M
ichael Peacock recalls his early years
in Australia where he relished school
on Fridays because that's when he
and his classmates had delicious meat pies
delivered from a local tuck shop (bakery/deli)
as an end-of-the-week celebration.
When his family moved to the United
States in 1980, the then 12-year-old lad longed
for those meat pies his parents made from
generations-old family recipes, but he couldn't
find anything like them where he now lived.
He sought out a job in a restaurant setting
and ended up as the dishwasher, where his
diligence earned him cooking tips and culinary
advice from chefs in a five-star restaurant who
admired his dedication. Later, he spent 12 years
as a corporate sales account manager before
laying out his business plan for The Flying Pie
Guy, based in Ewing, NJ.
" My idea was to purchase a food truck and
learn if there was a market for the Aussie pies, "
he said. " It was important for me to learn who
the customer really was and what they really
wanted in terms of taste and convenience.
" The first obstacle I encountered was that
I knew nothing about a food truck and what I
needed in the way of equipment. I sought out
some professional advice and purchased a
27-foot Freightliner and had it equipped with
an 18-foot kitchen, two propane convection
ovens, a deep fryer, hot holding cabinet,
refrigeration and freezer space, a beverage
cooler...and an Aussie flag emblazoned on the
unique and colorful wrap job of the vehicle.
Then I hit the e-commerce system and started
attending festivals and events. I was learning
quickly that customers wanted a hearty meal
and quick service. I also got to know the
experience of working in an enclosed area that
was always very hot or very cold. "
Peacock said he was doing well and teamed
up with local breweries and even added two
employees to run the food truck while he
joined them for larger events, like the one at
which he sold and served 1,600 of the handheld
pies. When the COVID-19 pandemic
hit, getting help was virtually impossible,
transforming the enterprise back to a one-man
traveling road show.
He bought a closed Italian restaurant in
Ewing, near Trenton, in 2018 that was equipped
to make his specialty pies in large quantities.
Then in 2020, he became the first contestant
on a Philadelphia television show called " The
Wolf PAC " (President's Advisory Council)
that entertained promising business venture
The legend of the 'Flying Pies'
Australian meat pies have been around for centuries and are regarded as the nation's comfort meal
of choice. But the legend of the Flying Pies began in the 1800s when an Englishman named William
Francis King was sent down under by his father with instructions to join the clergy.
After becoming infatuated by the local food, King began crafting his own handheld meat pies and
" flying " delivery system to get them to customers, particularly those docking from ferry boats. Stories
say he took his freshly baked meat pies to the far-away Sydney docks to sell. When the ferry departed,
he packed his unsold pies and hustled on foot to the next stop for the ferry boat. When passengers
realized it was the same pie vendor, they applauded and bought seconds. King became known as the
Flying Pie Man.
www.meatpoultry.com | 12.21 | MEAT+POULTRY
87
Photos: G'Day Gourmet

http://www.meatpoultry.com

Meat+Poultry - December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat+Poultry - December 2021