Vili’s gets iconic pies back on British shelves
A quintessentially South Australian product has made a return to the United Kingdom and Europe – with a former SA premier in London to tuck into the milestone.
SA baker Vili’s has resumed distribution of pies in the United Kingdom and Europe, in a coup for SA companies after the baked goods left British shelves during COVID.
Agent General for South Australia in the United Kingdom David Ridgway announced the export news yesterday, saying it was one of his goals when he arrived in London almost five years ago to “see Vili’s pies in all of the venues they were in pre-COVID”.
“It’s been quite a journey,” he said on social media, posting a picture of former SA Labor Premier and now Australia’s High Commissioner Jay Weatherill with pie in hand.
SA-based Thomas Foods International was also instrumental in getting the SA brand back in the UK. The company is Vili’s Family Bakery distributor across the UK and Europe, and a supplier of premium lamb and beef in the pies.
The iconic brand was inducted into the Food South Australia Hall of Fame in 2024.
Ridgway said he worked with the former Vili’s CEO and the daughter of the late Vili Milisits, Alison Milisits, Vili’s export manager Nik Lovric and Thomas Foods International UK general manager Jeremie Goepfert to get the deal over the line.
Current Vili’s CEO Tom Sullivan – the company’s first non-family CEO – was in the UK to celebrate the milestone.
Sullivan was appointed in October last year, replacing Alison who transitioned to managing director and onto a newly established advisory board.
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Alison is the daughter of the late Vili Milisits, who founded the bakery in 1968. The Hungarian pastry chef, who fled to Australia during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, died in 2021, aged 72.
In October, Sullivan told InDaily he wanted to “reinvigorate” its overseas export business which ceased operating in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ll be looking to reinvigorate our export sales along with continuing growth in South Australia,” he said.
“There’s still some good opportunities with our product in South Australia and nationally.”
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