Where “Party Pie and Sausage Roll” Comes From
A “party pie” is a small meat pie, about the size of your palm, served hot at parties, birthdays and sporting events. It’s a classic Australian party food, usually eaten with tomato sauce.
A sausage roll is seasoned sausage meat wrapped in pastry and baked. It’s popular in Britain and Australia, and it’s a staple of Australian bakeries, school canteens and parties.
The two usually share a tray. Green’s Dictionary of Slang also lists “sausage roll” as rhyming slang for “the dole”, but in everyday talk it means the pastry.
“Chuck a tray of party pies and sausage rolls in the oven.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
Use both words for the plain, familiar party and bakery snacks. They’re casual words, heard in kitchens, canteens and at the footy.
In Real Life
Party pies and sausage rolls are on nearly every Australian party table, from kids’ birthdays to the footy club. Bakeries sell them hot or cold, and school canteens have served them for generations. Party pies are small enough to eat in two bites, and sausage rolls are often cut into smaller pieces for sharing. Tomato sauce is the standard topping, and people have strong opinions on how much to use.
Quick Questions
What’s the difference between a party pie and a regular meat pie?
Size. A party pie is a small, bite-sized pie for sharing, while a regular meat pie is a hand-held single serve.
Do Aussies eat them with sauce?
Usually, yes. Tomato sauce is the traditional partner for both party pies and sausage rolls.
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: PAR-tee PIE and SOSS-ij ROLE.
In conversation:
- Bring party pies and sausage rolls to the barbie.
- Don’t forget the tomato sauce for the sausage rolls.
- The kids ate all the party pies.
Good to know: Both are usually eaten hot with tomato sauce. A “sausage roll” in Australia always means the pastry, though in rhyming slang it can also mean “the dole”.
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