Ferguson Plarre’s parent company Plarre Foods has launched a supermarket pie range, Pie Society.
The heritage Victorian bakery franchise chain has introduced its home-baked style pies to liven up the freezer aisle in supermarkets, with distribution through 900 Woolworths stores, with IGA store networks and other stockists to come.
In a LinkedIn post last week, Plarre Foods Group CEO Steve Plarre said “I’m unbelievably proud to announce the launch of Pie Society into all Woolworths stores nationally today. It’s been 120 years in the baking with the finishing touches added during the pandemic. We’ve crafted 10 pie-conic flavours to keep your pies on….and sauced the very best pie puns that pastry can buy .”
Pie Society comprises three ranges and 10 different flavours created with premium fresh Australian ingredients.
The three ranges are Artisanal (think Greek Lamb, Steak and Stout, and Thai Red Curry), Heritage (Chunky Beef Steak, Smoky Beef and Bacon), and Meaty Vegan (Meatless Classic Cottage, Meatless Classic Aussie).
What’s different about the range is that pies are made and frozen unbaked, leaving the consumer to bake the pies in the oven for the same time as a pre-cooked pie would take.
The family firm describes the range as the “ultimate quick and easy comfort food” and tagging the products ‘Crafted by Plarre Bakehouses” extends the brand beyond its current Victorian boundaries.
A year ago the bakery chain ventured into the increasingly popular meat-free zone, with a vegan sausage roll and meat pie added to the product range.
The Ferguson Plarre Bakehouse brand was the first food franchise to achieve a four-star rating in the Australian Franchise Rating Scale organised by FRANData.
This article has been updated to to clarify the Pie Society is a Plarre Foods initiative.
