Down a little alleyway in central Wellington the subtle whiff of buttery pastry leads the way to Salut Pies.
While the bakery is new to the capital, opening in August last year, owners Joe and Carey Player had been running the store in Otaki for more than five years prior to that.
The store has become famous for creating new pie flavours nearly every day, from eggs benedict to burger varieties.
In its first few months in the capital, lines have snaked out the door.
Joe Player says on average Salut Pies has been selling around 400 pies fresh each day, but he says they have reached as high as 700 sold.
Salut sells hundreds of pies a day. Photo: RNZ / Mary Argue
Some favourites with regulars include mince and cheese, Korean Gochujang pork belly, beef brisket with jalapeno bacon jam, Eggs Montreal, eggs spinach salmon and hollandaise, and Louisiana steak & chorizo.
But Player admits they stopped counting all the different varieties they'd come up with once they clocked 1500. That, he reckons, was about two years ago.
So how does this flavour magician keep cooking up with new ideas?
"It's not me, it's my brain," Player says.
But it's clear that brain has taken in a lot of cuisine. Player worked as a chef for 26 years across a multitude of cuisines before he opened Salut.
Joe Player, the brains behind Salut Pies. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
It's those years of experience he credits for knowing how to mix different flavours together so well.
Player says he also uses his environment for inspiration
"I base [the pie] on the season and the vibe and the mood of people," he says.
"Say it's raining, then I'm thinking of more hearty meal," he says. "I start from there and see what ingredients I've got. I'll go shopping the previous night and see what's available and what's new and put it all together in the morning."
Some of his most out of the box combinations include a pork nacho pie - complete with corn chips on the side, and a banana satay with candied almond.
Player says his staff also pitch pie ideas, but until recently they had all been things he'd tried before. The one he hadn't heard of was a staff suggestion of a Japanese breakfast pie - which did make the menu.
The Eggs Benedict pie at Salut. Photo: Derek Morrison
Player says he's too much of a critic to enjoy his own food, and if there are any leftovers at the end of the day staff take them home, they are given away or freshly made ones might be frozen for shipped orders.
Player says he uses two types of pastry for his popular pies - flaky puff for the top and savoury for the bottom, that helps with the structural integrity of the pie, he explains.
To make a smooth mince he fries off all the fat and strains the water before putting the mince in a broth. He uses Edam cheese for the best melt.
With pies flying out the door, Player is looking to obtain a liquor licence so he can offer matching pies and pints.
