Balfours takes over the Norwood Pie Cart

In late 2015, the Norwood, Payneham and St Peters council, asked for tenders to operate the Pie Cart outside Norwood Oval for the next three years.   Vili's and the Norwood Football Club put in their tenders. The Norwood Football Club prevailed.

Vili's Bakery had the Pie Cart permit in the Norwood area for the last 13 years years, even though their competitor Balfours who is the sponsor of the Norwood Football Club and which was supplying pastry demands inside the sporting oval during games.  Therefore, now patrons during the game will no longer be leaving the oval to sneak in a Vili's Pie Floater or other pastry items on offer.  As now it's Balfours who is set to take over all pastry supplies in and out of the Norwood Oval.

The permit, which was decided at a confidential council meeting in December 2015, comes into force in Febraury 2016. Even though the club won the tender, Norwood Football Club Chief Executive - Mr Geoff Baynes said the Redlegs would hand over the opportunity to Balfours.

Mr Baynes met with Balfours to discuss what would be sold at the pie cart. He said there was a possibility the pie cart would operate at times other than football matches, but that was still to be worked out.

“Our minimum position is we’ll have a pie cart there for all our club events”, as stated by Mr Baynes.

Vili’s was a sponsor of the Redlegs until 2000, when the previous owner of the Norwood Pie Cart was forced to move the pie cart from outside the Cinema on George Street, Norwood, to the front of the oval.  Balfours then took over as a sponsor.

Vili’s bought the pie cart in 2002. Its owner Vili Milisits has stated in the past, that Norwood had always been annoyed he sold more pies outside the oval than it could sell inside it. “All they want to do is not have me there,” Mr Milisits said. “I did it for the convenience of the people so they could have a Vili’s pie.”

The permit allows Norwood Football Club to operate the pie cart 24 hours a day, seven days a week, although Vili’s has only run it on the same day as football matches. What I call, "Profit Days Only"