The search for Melbourne’s best homemade pita brought home cooks and a hungry audience to the Greek Centre on Sunday, 8 November, for the 2026 Great Greek Pita Bake Off.

Presented by the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), the competition invited participants to put their favourite recipes to the test, with guests tasting the entries and voting for their favourites. The event brought an afternoon of friendly rivalry, shared food and family stories, while raising funds for the Antipodes Centre Trust and the Community’s cultural programmes.

Annastasia Bindevis took first place with her Kotoprasopita, a chicken and leek pie, while Anastasia Vassili came second with her Prasopita, a leek pie. Alexis Savvas received the Judge’s Choice Award for her Kreatopita, a meat pie. The prizes were sponsored by Bessemer.

“There’s a lot of pride in a homemade pita, and every cook brought something special to the table,” said Simela Stamatopoulos, a member of the GCM Board.

“We came together to find Melbourne’s best, but also to hear the stories behind the recipes. It was lovely to see people sharing food, comparing notes and talking about who taught them to cook. That’s what made the afternoon so enjoyable.”

Participants and guests shared memories of watching their yiayias make pita, learning their techniques and eventually preparing recipes of their own.

The entries ranged from classic cheese and spinach favourites to chicken, leek and meat pies. Participating bakers presented tiropita, spanakopita, kotopita and spanakotiropita, alongside the winning entries.

The Greek Community of Melbourne congratulated the winners and thanked all the home cooks who took part, the guests and prize sponsor Bessemer for their support.

Their contributions brought people together to celebrate recipes passed down through generations while supporting the Community’s cultural initiatives.