McGregors Bakery won the People's Choice award at the Baking Association Industry of New Zealand awards evening in Christchurch last week, after a text messaging and email vote campaign.
"There's no doubt about it - Wanaka people really got in behind the campaign," McGregors owner Bernie Sugrue said.
The award was a tribute to the hard work of his baking team, he said.
It came after McGregors Wanaka (2006) Ltd was ordered last month to pay a total of $11,217, including $6000 to Tauranga environmental consultant Brendon Love, after a hearing in the Alexandra District Court.
Mr Love was admitted to hospital two years ago after he ate a breakfast pie, which contained a 44mm long sliver of metal, bought from the McGregors Doughbin Bakery on the Wanaka lakefront.
Mr Sugrue said he regretted what had happened to Mr Love and had apologised in court.
Baking operations had moved from the Wanaka lakefront Doughbin shop into a new $2.4 million factory in Ballantyne Rd, six months after the incident.
The factory holds the highest rating possible from New Zealand's Food Safety Authority.
"When things like that happen it is gut-wrenching for everyone involved. But we have learned from it and have moved forward," Mr Sugrue said.
McGregors also won medals for its apple turnovers and the quality of its puff pastry - used in all of the bakery's savouries, pies and sausage rolls.
People's Choice award voters could swap their polled text messaging and email confirmations for a free custard square during the campaign.
Mr Love was diplomatic about the bakery's award when contacted in Tauranga by the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
He said he was not surprised when told McGregors had won a people's choice award for the best bakery in the country.
He was still waiting for a personal apology from the company.
"It's based on the merits of the pies they make today. What happened to me was two years ago and probably gave them a wake-up call which forced them to raise their game.
"Unfortunately, I'm the one who's suffered the consequences."
