Iconic Four’N Twenty pie turns 60, ups production
The Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, officially opened a new $21 million expansion of Patties Foods on Friday, which will greatly increase production for the region’s major local employer. The opening of the new facility corresponds with the 60th birthday of the iconic Australian Four’N Twenty meat pie, whose heritage can be traced back to Bendigo in 1948.In Bairnsdale for the opening, Mr Brumby reported that Patties had expanded with the construction of two new pie lines and a 10,000 pallet warehouse freezer at the company’s Bairnsdale bakery, delivering a major boost to its production capacity.
“Patties is a great Victorian success story that started out as a family run bakery, it is now the biggest pie bakery in the world,” Mr Brumby said. “Patties is an outstanding example of the opportunities for business in regional and rural Victoria, it now employs more than 500 people with 400 of people those from the local region.”
The $21 million investment by Patties has increased production to 38,000 pies per hour, making it the biggest pie bakery in the world.
Mr Brumby joined Annie Rijs, 87, the wife of Peter Rijs and co-founder of Patties Foods to blow out the birthday candles on a Four’N Twenty Pie, marking the 60th anniversary of the iconic Australian meat pie.
Mr LT McLure founded the brand in 1948 and ownership has since changed hands five times, including the latest switch in 2003 when Patties Foods purchased the brand from Simplot.
