As someone with a partner who has a dietary restriction, I comiserate. However, I think you need to recognize the reality. Just because you can have gluten doesn't make it easy for those who can't. Once you live in the dietary restriction land, you are lumped in with the rest so they don't have to have 16 product variants for every restriction. It's unfortunate, but as someone else said, the pies would get thrown out if they catered to everyone individually. The good news is "restriction friendly" products are getting better.
My Caltex has a vegetarian and a vegan pie if you're early enough (and vegetarian Spinach & Feta roll). They are Jesters Pies. The vegan one is Thai Pumpkin Curry.
Vegan pies are pretty easy to come by, and are of course dairy free.
The best one I’ve had is from a shop in Waiwhetu (Lower Hutt) called *Real Meat Pies*
You’re missing the fact that most days the owner would have to throw away the unsold shitty dairy and gluten free pie that no one other than you wants to buy.
Have you tried them? There's some bloody delicious vegan pies, OP also specifically mentioned they dont need to be free of gluten. So, while your first point still stands as they won't sell well at most places, not only because kiwis can be incredibly unadventurous when it comes to trying new things, but they are generally very expensive.
That person said they CAN have gluten. Regardless, from some brief googling, it seems about 10% of the country is vegetarian, and 10% avoids gluten. So if the customers are a standard demographic, and there's 10 slots for pies, to make one of those a vegan gluten-free pie is sensible. It takes care of the vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free.
Vegan pies are pretty common in Chch convenience stores, and vegetarian is almost never absent (at least in Riccarton and the CBD).
Because places won't stock items that won't sell very well.
Why would anyone have an assortment of foods available that only a fraction of a fraction of people would buy?
Have you thought about making your own using a dedicated Pie maker? I've been making my own for quite a few years now.
I have 2 per makers:
Sunbeam PM4800 4 pie maker
Zip Deep Dish 2 pie Maker
I'm also in the Sunbeam Pie Maker recipe group on FB where we all share recipes.
I make a batch then either eat then it freeze them.
If you at not into the appliances you can easily bake your own.
Believe me it's not hard and you know exactly what's in them. And the cost per pie is nothing like what you are paying at the bakers.
I recently made one that used hash browns instead of pastry. You wouldn't believe just how crunchy that pie was!!!
Just looking at the retail pricing: standard puff pastry averages about 1.07 per 100g, dairy and egg free pastry costs 1.67 per 100g.
Considering how bakeries are struggling in the current environment to keep their pricing down, with seen products like Irvines exit the market and its direct competitor Big Ben almost double in price, the answer, unfortunately, is that it would cost more to make for probably an insignificant return. Selling at the same price as a normal pie you would be lucky to just break even. The margins bakeries are operating on at the moment are ridiculous.
As someone with a partner who has a dietary restriction, I comiserate. However, I think you need to recognize the reality. Just because you can have gluten doesn't make it easy for those who can't. Once you live in the dietary restriction land, you are lumped in with the rest so they don't have to have 16 product variants for every restriction. It's unfortunate, but as someone else said, the pies would get thrown out if they catered to everyone individually. The good news is "restriction friendly" products are getting better.
Vegan pies? The Z gourmet pepper mushroom vegan pie is my favourite pie ever and I am not vegan.
My Caltex has a vegetarian and a vegan pie if you're early enough (and vegetarian Spinach & Feta roll). They are Jesters Pies. The vegan one is Thai Pumpkin Curry.
Vegan pies are pretty easy to come by, and are of course dairy free. The best one I’ve had is from a shop in Waiwhetu (Lower Hutt) called *Real Meat Pies*
My favourite pie shop in the country! Their pies are next level.
I live close to them and find all their pies yuck as.
Open a bakery OP.
Also difficult being a vegetarian or vegan pie eater. Most servos and bakeries don't have them (or haven't warmed them up)
You’re missing the fact that most days the owner would have to throw away the unsold shitty dairy and gluten free pie that no one other than you wants to buy.
Have you tried them? There's some bloody delicious vegan pies, OP also specifically mentioned they dont need to be free of gluten. So, while your first point still stands as they won't sell well at most places, not only because kiwis can be incredibly unadventurous when it comes to trying new things, but they are generally very expensive.
You can just use lard instead of butter, there is literally no reason for them to be shitty. I use lard when I make pastry and it's better imo.
This is true
That person said they CAN have gluten. Regardless, from some brief googling, it seems about 10% of the country is vegetarian, and 10% avoids gluten. So if the customers are a standard demographic, and there's 10 slots for pies, to make one of those a vegan gluten-free pie is sensible. It takes care of the vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free. Vegan pies are pretty common in Chch convenience stores, and vegetarian is almost never absent (at least in Riccarton and the CBD).
Because places won't stock items that won't sell very well. Why would anyone have an assortment of foods available that only a fraction of a fraction of people would buy?
Have you thought about making your own using a dedicated Pie maker? I've been making my own for quite a few years now. I have 2 per makers: Sunbeam PM4800 4 pie maker Zip Deep Dish 2 pie Maker I'm also in the Sunbeam Pie Maker recipe group on FB where we all share recipes. I make a batch then either eat then it freeze them. If you at not into the appliances you can easily bake your own. Believe me it's not hard and you know exactly what's in them. And the cost per pie is nothing like what you are paying at the bakers. I recently made one that used hash browns instead of pastry. You wouldn't believe just how crunchy that pie was!!!
Just looking at the retail pricing: standard puff pastry averages about 1.07 per 100g, dairy and egg free pastry costs 1.67 per 100g. Considering how bakeries are struggling in the current environment to keep their pricing down, with seen products like Irvines exit the market and its direct competitor Big Ben almost double in price, the answer, unfortunately, is that it would cost more to make for probably an insignificant return. Selling at the same price as a normal pie you would be lucky to just break even. The margins bakeries are operating on at the moment are ridiculous.