General manager of the business, Mr Williams knew little about the baking industry when he became involved.
Marlow Pies is a family business, with his parents, Kelvin and Karyn Williams taking over the bakery in 1995, having run service stations "for years".
The business was based in Marlow St, where it was known as the Marlow St Pie Kitchen, but quickly outgrew the premises.
The following year, it moved to King Edward St.
The business is the largest pastry manufacturer in Dunedin and employs 25 staff.
Mr Williams described the building as a rabbit warren, it having been extended so much since moving in. "It's grown organically, really. It's not a purpose-built bakery by any stretch of the imagination."
Mr Williams spent the best part of 20 years overseas or in other parts of New Zealand, and had not intended to return to live in Dunedin.
But after 10 years working in IT in England and the arrival of two children, Sam (now 7) and Charlie (5), he and his Australian-born wife, Rebecca, moved back in 2006.
Having had "a lot of life experience", he realised it was one of the best places he could think of to bring up children.
He also knew his parents wanted to keep the business in the family.
"We thought we'd come back here and give it a shot."
While it took his wife, a former Sydneysider, a little while to settle in, she was now "absolutely ensconced" in Dunedin. "You couldn't drag her away," he said.
Mr Williams had no real bakery experience, apart from occasionally working in the bakery during his university days. But he seemed to have a natural affinity for it - and he did love eating pies.
Kelvin and Karyn Williams had bought a bread bakery nearby and he spent several years turning that around.
That bakery was sold in 2010 but the owner bakes bread for their shop.
They also have a smaller Marlow Pies outlet in Crawford St.
Wanting to learn as much as possible from those in the industry, Brendan Williams put his hand up to get on the executive of the Baking Industry Association of New Zealand.
The organisation's mandate was to support and promote the baking industry in New Zealand.
Members were owners and managers of a wide variety of bakery-related businesses, including bakery, cafe, catering and pastrycook businesses.
He was elected association president for a second term in August last year, after serving one term as president and two terms as an executive member.
Becoming involved with the industry organisation meant he was busy, but it had taught him a lot.
In 2010, a mince and cheese Marlow pie won bronze in the commercial-wholesale competition section of the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards. Mr Williams, who did not enter last year, hoped to do better in this year's awards.
Spending time with successful bakers in the association had given him "a few clues" on how to make an award-winning pie.
Entering competitions was good for business and the company was looking to focus more on retail this year.
Mr Williams acknowledged the past five years had been difficult, with the industry facing challenges, so it was all about adapting to those challenges.
The main issue for medium-sized manufacturers like Marlows was being "squeezed" at the volume end of the market by bread companies, which owned several major pie brands.
There had also been changes among the traditional market - dairies and service stations.
While sales volumes had been constant throughout the period, the company's market had been "turned on its head", Mr Williams said.
The company sold South Island-wide, mostly to supermarkets, superettes, cafes and lunch bars, schools and the likes of shearing contractors.
Discretionary spending was "pretty tight" these days and he aimed to make buying lunch from the bakery every day a realistic option from a cost perspective.
However, prices for ingredients such as oil, meat and flour had "gone through the roof" recently.
Marlow's tagline was "the healthier, tastier choice" and "top quality" meat was used, while vegetable oil was used in the pastry rather than animal fat.
"If you want to eat a pie, we think we're a good choice," Mr Williams said.
While steak and cheese and mince and cheese pies were the perennial favourites, some more adventurous flavours were produced among the 26-pie range - from diced pork and kumara with hickory sauce, to chicken, cranberry and brie.
Mr Williams, who believed there would always be demand for pies, did not have any regrets about moving home.
From a business perspective, it had been a good challenge.
"Let's hope the economic outlook's good this year. Everyone's hanging out for it in Dunedin. We're due and we deserve it," he said.
