A Cambodian-born baker whose first language isn’t English has risen to the top of New Zealand’s baking ranks, proving skill speaks louder than words.

Kéo Srun, an apprentice at Gold Star Bakery in Tauranga, won the 2025 Apprentice Pie Maker Award – a victory that he said has changed his life.

Helping him on his path to reach that goal was one of New Zealand’s most awarded bakers, the pie king himself, Tauranga’s Patrick Lam.

The Apprentice Pie Maker Award is a national competition to judge the pie-making standard of bakers training towards a New Zealand Certificate in Trade Baking. Apprentices need to enter two pies in the competition, a mince and cheese pie and a gourmet meat pie, which gives them scope to show their innovative and creative skills.

While English is a second language to Srun, his bakery skills show there are no communication barriers to making great bakery food.

However, he was surprised by people’s reaction to him after his win.

“When my friends and family first hear that I won, they are shocked and then happy. They couldn’t believe that I really won, not just my friends and family, but also my boss, Mr Patrick Lam, too,” Srun said in a statement.

“Winning the award has completely changed my life because many customers came to our shop, recognised me as the apprenticeship pie winner and loved the pie I won with. First time in my life being accepted by many people.”

He has now completed the first part of his apprenticeship and will likely be eyeing up his future chances of entering the Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards.

A humble baker, Srun believes he has a lot to learn about baking.

“I don’t think I am a better pie maker; I’m just lucky that I got a good master baker, Mr Patrick Lam. He shows me how it works. And I keep improving my skills every day by making, learning and earning experience and keep trying. It is really awesome and an honour that I can be trained by the multi-award-winning baker.”

Pies are Srun’s favourite bakery item to make and to eat.

“The thing that I like to bake the most is still pie because pie is traditional in New Zealand and New Zealand has the best pie in the world. You take every bite from your pie, and the taste of pastry and the meat mixed in your mouth, that moment is really happy.”

He said being a baker is a good career and doing an apprenticeship helps you get started.

“I would always encourage other people to become a baker. Because baking is really fun and when you see the look on people’s faces trying your food, and they give you a thumbs up, that feeling is awesome.”

Entries for the 2026 Apprentice Pie Maker Awards open on April 27 and the winner will be announced on June 11.