What makes a great meat pie? "It starts with the beef" says Barry Kelly. They buy all their prime yearling low fat beef and chicken direct from specialised breeders in the Hunter Valley, NSW that ensures quality control of the meat that goes in to his pies. The pies created at Red Neds contain 100% yearling beef (equivalent to export quality beef not found in supermarkets or most butchers shops). "We don't take meat from just anywhere and only use the finest quality low fat yearling beef" he says. This enables him to use only the best quality cuts of topside, round and rump in his pies. "The whole idea is to educate people to eat better food, even if they're eating a pie it's still full of healthy, good quality ingredients. Start with the best ingredients and you can be the best. With this philosophy all the pies made at Red Neds are outstanding" says Barry.

Pies range from variations on beef pies include chunky pepper steak, Fiji curry steak, chunky steak and mushrooms, beef stroganoff sour cream onions and mushrooms or chunky steak and kidney and good old lambs fry, bacon and onion (just like mums - well actually better - sorry mum) to more exotic varieties like mango chunky chicken, chicken avocado, smoked chicken with camembert cheese, Thai satay chicken, tandoori chicken and Indian buttered chicken. Seafood pies are even more enticing with varieties such as lobster, prawns and barramundi with leeks, celery and coconut cream, smoked salmon and semi sun dried tomatoes, scallop & prawns in honey lime chilli sauce. Vegetarians are well catered for too with varieties such as vegetarian deluxe (nine hand cut vegetables in hollandaise sauce) or baked pumpkin, sweet potato and leeks. There are also fruit pies (apple varieties with blueberry, mango, wild cherry, strawberry or rhubarb or you can get freshly made beer batter chips, open gourmet pies and cheese melts.

PIES TO TAKE HOME AFTER YOUR VISIT

Let Red Neds make up pies for you to take home and put in your freezer or eat later. They are all labelled with the make of pie and simple baking instructions or create your own pie, tell Barry what you want in your pie. He will do it for you no matter what.

We have over 50 mouth-watering varieties of pies on our menu. Here are just a few of the open gourmet varieties or you can select from approximately 37 of our closed top varieties. Prices start at only A$3.00 ranging up to A$6.50. All these pies can come with salad and beer battered fries for a little extra.

When you visit Nelson Bay be sure to add a visit to Red Neds Gourmet Pie Bar to your itinerary, eat in or alfresco with a freshly ground coffee, milk shake (15 different flavours) or selection of fresh juices.