The crowd-pleasing pies were world-famous in Hororata, but the aftermath of September's devastating earthquake has forced the pub in the Canterbury town to give up its secret.
The Hororata hotel was so badly damaged in the quake it couldn't be repaired, and is destined for demolition.
On Thursday, patrons got the chance to bid for the pub's chattels, with everything from stags' heads to beer kegs.
Also under the hammer was the 30-year-old pie recipe.
Auctioneer Bryan Andrews says the $4400 selling price for it stunned everyone. The buyer's premium of 15% took the price to about $5000.
He says it came down to a bidding duel between two people, with a Christchurch man the eventual winner.