Bakeries in NZ and Australia
Kicks off 1 September 2026
The Meanest Pie Challenge
Also known as the Semper Pie Challenge
In coordination with Salut Pies and Ashby Pies
Calling all bakeries and pie shops in NZ and Australia. A mystery box competition where the customers are the judges. Pick 9 out of 15 ingredients, create something wonderful and unique, and donate $1 from every challenge pie sold to the Cancer Society.
Kicks off
Get your bakery signed up now so your challenge pie is on the counter from day one.
The pie
9 of 15
Pick 9 ingredients from the mystery box list and make something wonderful and unique.
The donation
$1 a pie
All we ask is $1 from every challenge pie you sell goes to the Cancer Society.
The judging
One month
From 1 September 2026, your pie is rated and judged on the Mean Pies app. The customers are the judges.
The prize
Flanfurly Shield
The winner holds the shield for a year and gets to proudly display it in store.
On the sign up form, select The Meanest Pie Challenge, then choose "Go Your Own Way" when it asks how you will be fundraising.
Bakeries sign up on the Cancer Society website and we will be in touch with more information soon. Sign ups and donations are handled by Cancer Society New Zealand, a registered charity (CC30617). Mean Pies never touches the money.
Your ingredient choices are...
Fifteen on the list. You pick 9. What you do with them is entirely up to you.
- Leek
- Bacon
- Miso
- Garlic
- Potato
- Feta
- Mustard
- Watercress
- Blackberry
- Onion
- Cheese
- Sesame
- Ginger
- Pork
- Tomato
Salt and pepper are free.
How it works
- 1
Sign up your bakery
Register on the Cancer Society website before 1 September 2026. Once you are in, we will be in touch with more information soon.
On the sign up form
- Select The Meanest Pie Challenge
- Choose "Go Your Own Way" when it asks how you will be fundraising
- 2
Pick your 9 ingredients
Choose 9 from the list of 15 and build your challenge pie around them. Salt and pepper are free, so they do not count.
- 3
Put it on sale for a month
From 1 September 2026, sell your challenge pie in store for one month and donate $1 from every one sold to the Cancer Society.
- 4
Customers do the judging
Your pie gets rated on the Mean Pies app. A voting feature built for this is on the way, so it will be dead easy for punters to have their say.
- 5
The winner takes the shield
The top pie holds the Flanfurly Shield for a full year, until we do it all again next time around.
The Flanfurly Shield
One shield, one winner, one year of bragging rights. Take out the challenge and you get to proudly display the Flanfurly Shield in store until we run it again the following year. Then you defend it.
Who is behind it
The Semper Pie Challenge is brought to you by Mean Pies in coordination with Salut Pies and Ashby Pies, all in support of the Cancer Society.
Not a baker? Spread the word
Tell your local pie shop to get involved. Share this page with your crew. When the challenge pies land, get on the app and rate them, because that is how the winner gets picked.
