EVERYONE loves a good pie.
Well, everyone except for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) when Wauchope’s new bakery offering, the Phat Phuc Pie Shop, tried to register its business name.
Forced to assume the registered business name of Double P Bakehouse following multiple failed attempts, the bright neon sign that hangs in the store on High Street has since gone viral on social media.
While many have admired the clever name, owner Matthew Reid revealed its deeper significance – his wife is Vietnamese, and in her culture, the name carries a positive meaning, often translated as “Happy Buddha”.
“Used together in that sequence, it is actually good karma and a blessing,” Matthew told the Daily Telegraph.
Describing his store as “not one of those shops where the customer is always right”, Matthew speaks his mind and dishes up his pies, and customer enquiry responses, in a manner true to himself.
“I don’t use the butcher, so asking which butcher I will be getting my mince from is pointless,” Matthew shared won social media a week prior to the shop’s opening in June.
And when it comes to whether he makes everything himself, the answer was very candid.
“Yes, everything is made in house, except the bread.
“I buy that in. I, too, like my sleep, and the idea of waking up at 2am to make bread does not make me excited. At all.”
Acknowledging that regional towns and communities have different demographics to that of larger towns or cities, Matthew admits that some older folk have gotten a little upset by the name.
On the flip side however, the reviews on social media couldn’t be more different.
“We went with friends who travelled 130kms to see what all the fuss was (about),” one poster shared.
“We discovered the best pies we have ever had, anywhere.”
A member of The Australian Meat Pie Appreciation Society rode his pushbike to “sample the goods”.
“Arrived at 1.30pm and settled for a beef curry pie as they had sold out of many items,” he shared.
“Sounds like they have secured the patronage of local tradies as sausage rolls were sold out by 11am according to the lovely lady behind the counter.”
By Rikki WALLER