Calling all pie lovers! Come and get a taste of Melton's new PieFest event

Some of the judges at this year's British Pie Awards in Melton's St Mary's Church. Pictured centre is British Pie Awards organiser Stephen Hallam, managing director of Dickinson and Morris. Melton's new PieFest event is hoping to build upon its success EMN-160807-170925001

PieFest - marketed as ‘the UK’s greatest pie festival’ - will give pie-eyed visitors the chance to sample pies, buy pies, eat pies and even learn how to make their own pies.

The first-ever PieFest will take place at the cattle market on Scalford Road from August 13-14, 10am-4pm. Admission will be £4, children under 16 free.

Many of the UK’s awarding-winning pie makers will be at the event selling their pies including past supreme champions of the British Pie Awards held in Melton.

PieFest will also include talks, tastings, demonstrations and workshops on how to make the perfect pie.

The ‘pie theatre’ programme will include talks on a history of pies, how to rate a pie, raising a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie and a pie clinic where visitors can put their pie and pastry queries to an expert panel of cooks and pie makers. There will also be cheese, beer, cakes, chocolate, cider and entertainment at PieFest.

PieFest organiser Dr Matthew O’Callaghan OBE, who is also chairman of the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership and Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, said: “We British love pies. We eat around £1 billion worth of pies per year in all shapes and sizes - hot and cold, sweet and savoury. PieFest will give people an opportunity to celebrate this fact by tasting and buying the best pies in the UK, as well as perfecting their own pies.”

For more information, please visit www.ukpiefest.co.uk