Village publican celebrates winning national pie award
Christine has been mine host at The Crown for 18 years and is an experienced piemaker.
She entered her Signature Steak and Stilton Pie in the category for Beef and Cheese Pies and was delighted to be announced as the winner at Friday’s presentation dinner.
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Her winning pie fittingly triumphed with local ingredients – meat from Vinny’s Butchers of Asfordby and cheese from Long Clawson Dairy.
Christine told the Melton Times: “I have never even thought about entering the pie awards but I waitressed at the awards dinner last year and I thought I’d like to enter the next year so I’m glad I did.
"Winning this award is definitely going to get us some recognition – I think it’s wonderful.”
She is very proud of using local products in the winning pie, particularly the village butcher’s, adding: “We are very lucky at The Crown to have a butchers shop about five doors up from us.
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“Vinny’s of Asfordby has been supplying our meat for many years so we always make sure we buy from him.”
The pie has been one of the popular choices of regulars, particularly on Tuesday Pie Nights at the Main Street pub.
Christine, who has been landlady since 2006 at The Crown, said: “I’ve been baking the steak and Stilton pie for many years and it’s been on the menu for at least the last 12 years.
“This success is going to be fantastic for us.
"Tomorrow morning my plan ahead of Tuesday’s Pie Night is to be in the kitchen all day making lots and lots of these pies.”
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She entered two other pies in the 2024 awards – a sausage cheese and bean pie in the Pub Class and a vegan take on a Cornish pasty in the vegan class.
Christine added: “I never expected to win a class – lots of regulars have said ‘congratulations’ and some of them didn’t realise it is a national award."
Click HERE to see which pies won the 24 classes and Supreme Champion at the 2024 British Pie Awards.