Augie Sauer – Pie Man

Toni Thompson, Augie Sauer's great grand daughter and Gail Sauer, Augie’s grand daughter.

A reader recalls “Every Wednesday was pie night. The white Holden ute with the pie box in the tray would sound its horn as it went through the streets of Maryborough. As it pulled up, people would gather to buy hot pies, sausage rolls and delicious sweet pastries. My favourite was an apple turnover dusted and crumbling. We got to eat in front of the television and it was a favourite night of the week”.

One of the Sauer's utes from  http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/008/07/pies-bakery-hertiage1.jpg

Curious to find out more about this family history, the libraries got in touch with Toni Thompson  and Gail Sauer who are Augie's great grand daughter and grand daughter respectively. After chatting with Norm Sauer, Augie's son and Gail's father, the women were able to share with us this longstanding  history. Toni starts “Sauer’s pies were baked in the Park Street Bakery, Maryborough in wood fired brick ovens, from 1919 to 1997." Gail enthuses “Sauers pies were legendary and are still made using the original recipe that the boys used in the beginning. Little things have changed like we have the convenience of buying  margarine in a box and they used to buy suet (fat from an animal)  for making the pastry ." Gail continues “ According to dad (Norm Sauer) Augie Sauer was born in 1899."

Norm, Donny, Bob, Augie and John Sauer. Original 6-8 Park Street Bakery 1950's. Original Wood Fired oven.

The Sauer’s bakery was established in 1919 and in 1922 a horse and cart was purchased to deliver pies (Fraser Coast Chronicle, 2016).

 Maryborough, Wide Bay and Burnett Historical Society Inc. supplied this image from the launch of the Maryborough’s Centenary of Federation festivities.  Pies were served at the function in the Sailing Club and used Sauer’s Pie Cart courtesy of Neville Lindley.

An article in Trove found here tells us of a theft of Augie’s pies. The article details that Mr Sauer was not “ungenerous” and that he helped many people.

Gail recollects “Bob, John and Don, the three brothers, worked with Augie and in 1957 Norm joined them. So from then  Augie and his four boys ran the bakery. In 1992 John Sauer bought the three older brothers out upon their retirement and ran the bakery with his son Kent, his wife Val, my cousin Judy and myself.”

Gail said “Augie and his four sons later had four utes that would deliver bakery goods to schools and workplaces.  They had pie runs all over Maryborough. Each son had a designated run and rotated through a different area each day. They visited picture theatres – the Wintergarden, the Bungalow and the Embassy at interval, as well as many other events”.

Toni remembers “they had unbelievable mathematical skills and could have your order added up before you got your goods handed to you straight from the back of the pie truck, they didn’t have cash registers and had it added up in their head.” Gail agrees “ you have to add it up before they start talking to you or you would forget the lot.”

Fraser Coast Chronicle (2016) claims he told his sons “he wanted to be buried between 1.30pm and 2.30pm” so his wake and funeral would fit between the tuckshop run and the evening run.

Gail says “ Yes that is right, he died in 1975 and the business was left to the four sons.”

Gail Sauer in the new Bakery Cafe with the five star pies baked with the original recipe. 

Gail Sauer  now continues the business tradition of this family getting the highest five star rating for her pies in the Buyers guide.” Toni Thompson is the next generation continuing this much loved tradition of baked pies and sweet pastries.

The new Sauer's Shop on the corner of Lennox and Albert Street

Toni and Gail said “After the original premises in Park Street closed the building was demolished and today Sauer’s pies are sold at Gail Sauer’s Bakery /Café  on the corner of Albert and Lennox Street using the original recipes”

Can you tell us what you remember about Sauer's pies?

References

Legend pie shop Sauers closes. (2016). Fraser Coast Chronicle. Retrieved 13 April 2016, from http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/news/Legend-pie-shop-Sauers-closes-park-street/558942/

THEFT OF PIES - Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld. : 1860 - 1947) - 12 Jul 1935. (2016). Trove. Retrieved 13 April 2016, from http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149963047?searchTerm=sauers pies&searchLimits=

Weekendnotes.com. Retrieved 13 April 2016, from http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/008/07/pies-bakery-hertiage1.jpg from http://www.weekendnotes.com/things-to-do-in-maryborough/

Tags #sauerspies #frasercoastlibraries #localhistory #maryborough