Rotorua baker’s pie innovation remembered in the 50-year story of McDonald’s
Digby Sykes ran a bakery and was first person to trial making apple pie for maccas. Photo / Supplied
A Rotorua pastry-maker who once worked around the clock to meet demand has been remembered as part of McDonald’s 50-year anniversary in New Zealand.
As the fast-food giant marks half a century since opening its first restaurant in Porirua on June 7, 1976, it is reflecting on the people and stories that helped shape its early days, the business said.
Among them is Rotorua baker Digby Sykes, who McDonald’s New Zealand said played a behind-the-scenes role in developing the apple pie served when the company first opened here.
According to the company, Sykes was approached to create the product for what was initially described to him as a “mystery customer”, later revealed to be McDonald’s.
McDonald’s said Sykes refined the recipe through experimentation, working to achieve the pastry texture and finish that would become a hallmark of the product.
Behind the scenes, the development process came at a turbulent time in Sykes’ career. His Rotorua business, Richmond Foods, was under significant financial strain in the mid-1970s, with debts mounting after cashflow issues and the collapse of several of his clients.
Working long hours making pastry at night and delivering it across the North Island by day, Sykes faced the prospect of losing the business altogether, a Macca’s-produced book called Golden Arches Under Southern Skies, Celebrating 35 Years of McDonald’s in New Zealand, said.
A turning point came when he was urged to collect outstanding debts and scale back operations - a move that stabilised his finances and allowed him to continue trading.
It was during this period that he crossed paths with McDonald’s representatives, who were seeking suppliers capable of producing food to strict specifications and at scale.
Sykes agreed to take on the apple pie challenge, despite initially having limited production capability. He developed early samples that required precise preparation, including being frozen before frying at a controlled temperature.
When the order came through for the opening of New Zealand’s first McDonald’s restaurant, Sykes was tasked with producing 1152 pies - a significant leap from his existing output.
Faced with the demand, he worked around the clock to engineer new machinery, building a press that could scale production from one pie at a time to dozens in a single run.
McDonald’s said the pressure of opening day demand highlighted limitations in early production methods, with Sykes continuing to adapt and refine his processes as orders increased.
A story published by the Rotorua Daily Post in 2013 said Sykes started Richmond Foods with his wife and was named Business Personality of the Year at the inaugural business awards in 1991. Richmond Foods was named Big Business of the Year.
Sykes hadn’t bothered to enter the awards and was convinced at the last minute by then-mayor Grahame Hall, who had visited the factory.
“They really twisted my arm, so I entered and filled in the forms,” Skyes said in the article.
His contribution is one of 50 stories McDonald’s New Zealand is sharing to mark the milestone, highlighting local suppliers, innovations and individuals involved in establishing the brand in Aotearoa.
The anniversary also reflects on key developments over the past five decades, including the rollout of drive-thru restaurants in the late 1970s and the introduction of menu items such as the Kiwiburger in 1991.
From a single Porirua outlet to more than 170 restaurants nationwide, McDonald’s says its growth has been shaped by local franchisees, workers and suppliers.
The Taupō McDonald’s, which features a decommissioned DC3 plane, has also been named the world’s “coolest” McDonald’s.
The company is also revisiting the opening day itself, when more than 100 people lined up before 10am and entertainment marked the occasion.
Fifty years on, McDonald’s says those early efforts – including the work of local suppliers such as Sykes – remain a defining part of its New Zealand story.