Born and bred in Australia, Bradley Collins began calling Scotland his home in 2014.
But that wasn’t his first time stepping foot in the country.
“I was born to an Australian father and a British mother, so I spent many years travelling between the two countries,” Bradley, now 52, said.
He eventually decided to emigrate to the UK with his wife, Nicola, and their children, Jacob and Sarah. And the four of them now happily reside in Cannich, Inverness-shire.
Bradley, whose love of cooking stems from his mum, was determined to become an integral part of the community and took on the ownership of Cannich Stores, a small village store located around 30 miles southwest of Inverness.
He added: “Gradually we have built the business up to become the hub of the local area and, in doing so, have been a finalist for several awards.”
Aussie Pies
Not only does Bradley run Cannich Stores, but also his own venture – Aussie Pies, which officially launched six months ago.
“Around 18 months ago, after making some pies for myself and my family, I was asked by a customer in our shop if they could try one as they looked so nice,” Bradley said.
“From that, I made some extras and the response was so positive I decided to make them to sell as a unique item in the shop.
“They proved so popular that I started making more with different flavours and then added sausage rolls as well.”
All of the pies and sausage rolls are made by hand by Bradley and 17-year-old Joe, who was recently employed to help with increasing production.
They are created in the shop’s rear kitchen, which is approximately 70 square feet.
“Currently, we are averaging about 100 to 150 pies and around 50 to 60 sausage rolls per week,” Bradley added.
“Joe is a local lad who is helping not only make the pies, but enjoying his input on improving our process and even starting to come up with some flavours of his own.”
Aussie Pies are available fresh or frozen at Cannich Stores.
However, they can also be ordered online and delivered directly to your door – either cooked or chilled.
The flavours
Starting out with the traditional mince beef pie, the Aussie Pies portfolio has expanded dramatically to feature a kangaroo and ale flavour.
It also offers the following pies:
- Beef
- Beef and potato
- Beef and mushroom
- Chicken and mushroom
- Chicken and vegetable
- Chunky lamb (chunks of lamb with the business’ own mint and rosemary gravy)
- Halloumi and vegetable (vegetarian)
- Macaroni and cheese
- Peppered steak
- Satay chicken
In terms of sausage roll fillings, these include beef, cheese and bacon, chicken kiev, pork, curried beef, and Mexican bean (vegetarian).
“What makes our pies unique is the taste,” Bradley said.
“It doesn’t matter which flavour you try, the unique taste is what makes them so different and the feedback we get from customers backs this up.
“We now have people that make a specific trip to visit us to purchase the pies hot and fresh, and others that have tried them whilst on holiday and now order them online for home delivery.”
‘A little piece of Australia’
Bradley, who had a part-time job at a local bakery prior to leaving school, which cemented his love of making pies, always indulged in the baked goods as a youngster.
He says his home country considers the humble meat pie as its national dish, which leads to another aspect that spurred the business owner to sell his pies to the masses.
Bradley added: “Like me, Australians based in the UK were missing what we call a ‘proper’ pie when lockdowns prevented them from travelling home.
“Our pies were a little piece of Australia that they could have to help ease the homesick feeling.
“The success to date has been great. It’s really such a thrill doing something you love and knowing that so many others love what you are doing.
“What started as a small sideline to help add a small amount of revenue to the shop has turned into a business of its own.”
Looking ahead, Bradley is hoping to extend the shop to boast an indoor eating area and cafe to “help bring more pies to the people.”
For more information, visit aussiepies.co.uk.
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