Maketū Pies to close doors after failing to find buyer

After 40 years, the iconic Bay of Plenty-based Maketū Pies is finally cooked.Current owner Montana Group says it has been working closely with potential buyers - but could not land the deal.Montana Group chief executive Lizzi Pearson said the doors will close on Friday."Obviously this is not the outcome we had hoped for. When it became clear that ongoing production at the Maketū factory was no longer sustainable, we put all our efforts into finding a pathway forward for the brand," Pearson said."We have had extensive discussions with people who could see the opportunity and potential in Maketū Pies, but unfortunately challenges around the tight timeline and capacity to accommodate production into their existing facilities proved too difficult to overcome."Maketu Pies factory.RNZ / Luka FormanPearson said production at the current level was not sustainable and the factory infrastructure was getting old.She said senior management were working to find work for staff.Twenty-one full time equivalent jobs have been lost.