Australian meat pie
Meat pie · Australia (nationwide)
The hand-held meat pie that's a must at Aussie rules football, once called 'Australia's national dish' by a state premier.
Know before you go
- Don't jump the queue at the bakery
- don't take a big bite straight into a hot pie (the gravy inside is scalding)
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The minced-beef meat pie is iconic in Australia and has been described as the national dish — the NSW premier Bob Carr called it that in 2003. It is usually eaten hot, topped with tomato sauce, and is a common takeaway snack and football-match food; because of its link with Australian rules football, Victoria's Four'n Twenty brand has iconic status. Adelaide also has the 'pie floater': a meat pie upside down in a bowl of pea soup.
Local customs
- Eat it straight from your hand with tomato sauce
- buy it at a bakery or the footy ground
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
Australian beaches: swim between the red and yellow flags
- Swim only between the red and yellow flags where lifeguards are on duty
- If you don't know the conditions, ask a lifeguard
- Swimming at unpatrolled beaches or outside the flags
Outside the flags there may be rip currents, and lifeguards cannot reach you in time.
Not yet verifiedSource: Surf Life Saving Australia: beach safety signs
Uluru: climbing is not allowed
- Walk the base track around Uluru and learn about Anangu culture
- Climbing Uluru
The climb closed permanently on 26 October 2019; climbing breaks the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and is punished.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: climb closure
Entering Australia: food, plant and animal products must be declared
- Truthfully declare all food (even small, packaged snacks), plants and animal products on your arrival card
- If in doubt, declare it
- Bringing fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, seeds or wooden souvenirs without declaring them
You can be issued an infringement notice; your visa may be cancelled, you may be refused entry and barred from returning for up to 3 years.
Not yet verifiedSource: Australian Department of Agriculture: travelling to Australia
Don’t DON'T
- Don't jump the queue at the bakery
- don't take a big bite straight into a hot pie (the gravy inside is scalding)
Locals appreciate DO
Australians appreciate visitors who watch a game of Aussie rules and eat a pie in the stands.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Corner bakeries make the best pies
- during Melbourne's AFL season (March–September), try one at the ground. Prices and opening hours are set by each shop
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.
Sources & verification notes
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