Goodbye Meat Pie

About the show

The LifeStyle Channel’s Goodbye Meat Pie reality series follows one of the nation’s most prestigious culinary competitions.

Goodbye Meat Pie follows the drama and humour of five Aussie chefs and their teams competing in this year’s Australian Regional Culinary Competition, a Tasting Australia event. When the day arrives, they’ll have exactly three hours to create “the perfect meal” using their regions produce and wine. In the competitive (and ego driven) food industry, winning means everything.

Goodbye Meat Pie gets up close and personal with the chefs, their teams, family and friends as they prepare for battle. Who are these people? Are chefs really as dogmatic and self-obsessed, as we are lead to believe? We’ll meet:

The very energetic Ross Howell from Brisbane... a self-professed cooking competition junkie. In the kitchen at work Ross is king-pin, but at home he is forced into submission by 18 year old “Albert” the Burmese cat. Ross is procrastinating over his competition menu, much to the frustration of madcap managers Helen and Vernon… and they call in the drag queens to raise funds to get to Adelaide.

Stephen Mercer from Melbourne’s Yarra Valley Gateway is hot favourite with his team of executive chefs. His secret-weapon… a dish with two flavours you’d never imagine going together.

The ‘Godfather’ of Mount Gambier, Italian-blooded Bruno Gentile is officially Australia’s Best Pizza Maker. His loves are pistol shooting, red wine and smoking cigars... preferably at the same time.

Darren Ho of the Hunter Valley is “back in 2001 to kick arse”. Claiming a communication bungle in the ‘99 competition cost him gold, he is back to prove to the judges he’s a winner.

And finally, the flamboyant Robert Groote of Albany WA... is excited and horrified to learn his team of “prima donnas” will soon be TV stars, “Oh my God, their egos will be out of control!” Despite being a Hospitality Lecturer at TAFE, Robert claims he “can’t cook for nuts”. Team members are thankful his role will be to source produce and play mother hen.

Goodbye Meat Pie is a complete journey,,, the chefs, lead up to the competition, the event, the result, and final interviews wrap up. It’s a battle of bush cooks and top city chefs. Judging day will be a showdown.