Bakery Classic · Footy Staple

Meat Pie

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In Adelaide, the 'pie floater', a meat pie sitting in a bowl of thick pea soup and topped with tomato sauce, has been sold from late-night pie carts since the late 1800s.

A hand-sized pastry shell filled with minced or diced beef and gravy, the meat pie is sold hot from bakery ovens, service-station warmers, and footy-ground kiosks across the country. It's eaten straight from a paper bag, usually with tomato sauce squirted on top.

Why it's made this way: Pie sellers and pie carts were part of Australian street life by the 19th century, carrying the British pie tradition to the colonies. Its one-handed portability later made it the standard food at Australian Rules football and rugby league grounds.