“What can’t you put in a pie?” asks Richard Overbye.

Overbye, whose career has spanned roles as head chef at Melbourne fine diner Amaru and time at Oslo’s three-Michelin-starred Maaemo, is teaming up with Patrick Wallis, former operations manager of Modus Coffee, to open the best damn pie shop Perth’s ever seen.

After working together at Super Glou, a pop-up restaurant by Commune Wine Store last November, Overbye and Wallis quickly realised their complementary skill sets might make for an ideal partnership.

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Overbye brings precise technical skills honed while working in kitchens around the world, while MBA graduate Wallis applies sharp business acumen and FOH know-how to the venture. “It’s so rare to find a business partner with complementary skills and a shared vision,” says Wallis.

Despite the serendipity, the pair admit it took some convincing to get Wallis on board with Overbye’s specific vision.

“I was like, ‘I don’t want to be a pie guy’,” Wallis says.

But, after some persuasion and a particularly convincing pitch involving a lasagne pie, Wallis was won over. Beyond the thrill of wrapping lasagna in a perfectly crafted pie crust, Wallis was drawn to the idea of building a product that fosters community and remains accessible.
Wallis wasn’t the only one questioning Overbye’s big leap away from fine dining. “My mum was asking me, ‘Won’t you get bored?’ But it’s actually quite freeing to be able to do something like this,” Overbye says.

“Restaurants are very confined to their four walls. Sure, you can do collaboration events and the like, but at the end of the day, you’re limited. With this, I’m able to travel, discover recipes and bring them into the business. You can’t necessarily put a Punjabi goat curry or a Spanish seafood stew on a fine-dining menu, but you can put it in a pie.”

Most Australians will agree that while we’ve got no shortage of pies, finding one that truly hits the mark can be a challenge. Overbye agrees: “I feel like you either get a pie that holds together but has a mediocre filling, or a pie with an amazing filling in a crust that’s overly fatty and doesn’t hold its shape.”
Recognising the importance of being able to eat a pie with one hand, Overbye has dedicated considerable time to perfecting his recipe. The result is a lighter shortcrust base paired with a rough puff pastry top, all made with premium butter. Despite that, Angelwood’s pies will remain reasonably priced, ranging from around $8 to $12.

Alongside kangaroo and black bean pies, vegetarians can look forward to options like Japanese sweet potato curry, palak paneer, and pumpkin lasagne pastries. There will also be sausage rolls and a small sweets counter with playful twists on retro favourites such as fudge, musk sticks and key lime pie. Drinks will include Modus coffee, house-made teas, and specialty sodas from local producers.

While trading Michelin-starred kitchens for pies might seem unexpected, Overbye’s pivot has been quietly brewing for years. “I hadn’t realised how much product research I’ve inadvertently done over the years in regard to pies,” he says. “When I was living and working in Europe, whenever I came home to visit, my parents would always ask, ‘Is there anything you want to eat?’ The first thing I always wanted was a pie.”

Angelwood Pie Shop is set to open at 663 Newcastle Street, Leederville before the end of the year.

@angelwood.pies