Judges taste test 848 pies at British Pie Awards in Melton

Rutland and Melton MP Alicia Kearns checks out one of the entries for the British Pie Awards with fellow judges, Hugh Brown (Melton Livestock Market) and Daniel Bennett (Duncan and Topliss) EMN-200403-133417001

More than 150 producers from throughout the nation delivered a total of 848 pies to the town for the prestigious competition.

The dozens of judges tasked with deciding the 23 category winners and overall champion included Rutland and Melton MP Alicia Kearns and Mayor of Melton, Councillor Malise Graham.

Entries are limited to baked pies which have a filling totally encased in pastry and they must be commercially available at the time of the awards.

The Rev Kevin Ashby, Rector of Melton, launches the British Pie Awards judging with the traditional blessing of the pies EMN-200403-133355001

Last year’s Supreme Champion ‘Pie of Pies’ was a Vegan Curried Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Pie made by butchers Jon Thorner from Somerset - the first vegan pie ever to win.

Find out later this week on our website who the winners were from the event, which coincides with British Pie Week.