ERROL PARKER| Editor-at-large | Contact
The Betoota Heights Bakery has long claimed to have the most famous pies in town as well as the best ones.
Our reporters here at The Advocate decided to put that to the test.
Last week, we went around town and bought a stock standard meat pie from six local bakeries and sent them off to the lab for testing.
The results were shocking.
Of the half dozen meat pies we tested, all were found to contain up to 30% horse meat. Some bakeries also added other meats such as pigeon, duck and kangaroo.
The news sent shockwaves through Betoota’s tight-knit community, with some telling The Advocate that they felt ‘disgusted’ and ‘betrayed’ by local bakers for not disclosing what went into their pies.
A special amount of disappointment and anger has been levelled at the Betoota Heights Bakery – which has satisfied the hungry of Betoota for generations.
In a statement released this morning on their Facebook page, the owners of the Heights institution apologised to their customers and asked for forgiveness.
However, while many were shocked that the famous pies had horse meat in them, none were really surprised that some of the other bakeries in town were using horse meat.
The Davis Tuck Shop on Greenbower Road in the Old City was found to be selling meat pies that contained nearly 100% horse meat – something they said they never tried to hide.
“We sell meat pies, not beef pies,” said the owner.
“Tell me where the deception is. We buy what’s cheap or on special and we turn it into pies.”
When asked where their horse meat was coming from, the Davis Tuck Shop owner said he gets it from the knackery.
“Where else would I get it?” he said.
“I line the boot of my Mondeo with a tarp, we knock the horse off, gut it and clean it. Skin it, chop it in half with an axe and throw it in the boot,”
“My wife calls it boot pony.”
Our reporter then had one of the Davis Road horse pies and agreed that the addition of pony mince does create a great pie.
More to come.
