Melton producers enjoy plenty of success at British Pie Awards

As we reported on Friday, the Supreme Champion accolade went for the first time ever to a gluten-free pie.

Romany Simon, of Bristol-based Pieminister, was overjoyed to be presented with the trophy by Rachel Kolebuk of sponsors, Melton Mowbray Building Society.

More than 150 judges assessed almost 1,000 pies in St Mary’s Church, Melton, before the awards were announced at Friday’s presentation dinner.

Old Dalby-based Nice Pie, Melton’s Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, Brockleby’s of Asfordby Hill, March House Farm Shop of Great Dalby, Feast and the Furious of Melton and Langham pub, The Wheatsheaf, all tasted success.

Organiser Matthew O’Callaghan, chair of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association and host of the awards, said after the presentations: “This was our best pie awards ever.

“More pies, more judges and more sponsors and great coverage on national media, including BBC Radios 2 and 4, the Guardian and Telegraph.

“And a very worthy winner in terms of pie and piemaker.

“We get more media coverage than any other food award – it certainly puts Melton on the map.”

Nice Pie has been recognised in several categories in previous years and the pies of head baker, Kath Walmsley, impressed the judges once again.

The business lifted the coveted overall Small Producer Award and a victory in the Chicken With Other Meat Pie class, with its Roasted Chicken & Parma Ham with Stilton & Peppercorn Sauce Pie.

It was also highly commended in the same category for its Christmas Pie’ (Turkey and all the trimmings) entry and got the same honour for its Steak, Pea and Mint Pie in the Beef and Any Flavour Combination Pie class.

Nice Pie also achieved gold awards for its Roasted Chicken and Parma Ham with Stilton and Peppercorn Sauce Pie and its Christmas Pie.

The family-run business also got a silver for its whacky Kangaroo, Ale and Tasmanian Pepperberry Pie plus a bronze for its Salmon en Croûte entry in the fish pie class.

Melton’s iconic Ye Olde Pork Shoppe is a big tourist attraction of course and staff have been celebrating being awarded a highly commended for its Hand-Crafted Melton Mowbray Pork Pie in the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie class.

The Nottingham Street bakery also scooped a couple of Silver awards for its Hand Crafted Melton Mowbray Pork Pie.

There was a Bronze honour for Brockleby’s Pies, with its Gluten-Free Pork Pie in the cold-eating savoury pie class, while March House Farm came away with four Bronze awards for its Hand Raised Pork Pie (Melton Mowbray), Beef and Onion Pie, Chicken and Ham Pie, and Steak and Stilton Pie entries.

Feast and the Furious, a smoked food specialist based in Melton, took a Bronze award for its vegetarian entry, a Smoked cheddar, potato, leek and charred onion pie.

The Wheatsheaf pub celebrated Silver awards for its Creamy coconut and lentil Vegan Pie and its Steak and Ale pie, plus three Bronzes.

There was further success for Rutland with the victory of Oakham-based Leesons Family Butchers in the pork pie category.

Scottish 16-year-old Paul Curran, of WeeCook, Carnoustie, lifted the trophy for Young Piemaker - he was presented with it by Shelagh Core, manager of Melton BID, the category sponsors.

The Newcomer Award went to Dickie’s Pies, of Radstock, in Somerset, which won the Pasty class with its Jamaican Spicy Beef entry.

Melton Mowbray Building Society chief executive, Simon Taylor, said: “We are extremely delighted to have sponsored the Supreme Champion award at the 2022 British Pie Awards. We are proud to be part of this event taking place in our local community.”

Category winners for 2022 awards:

Melton Mowbray Pork Pie - 1 D&M MM Pork Pie (440g) from Samworths Savoury Pastry; Pork Pie - Leesons Pork Pie from Leesons Family Butchers, Oakham; Cold-eating savoury pie - M&S Luxury Christmas Pie from Samworths Savoury Pastry, Leicester; Pasty - Dickie’s Pies, Jamaican Spicy Beef from Dickie’s Pies, Radstock; Dessert Pie (including Bramley Apple Pie) - Pepper’s Cottage Bakery Bramley Apple Pie from Pepper’s Cottage Bakery, Matlock; Steak and Kidney Pie - Luxury Steak And Kidney Pie from Danestream Farm Shop, New Milton); Beef and Any Flavour Combination Pie - Turner’s Steak and Stilton Pie from Turner’s Pies, Chichester);

Beef and Ale Pie - Dickinson & Morris Steak & Ale pie from Samworths Savoury Pastry, Leicester; Beef and Cheese Pie - Turner’s Steak & Stilton Pie from Turner’s Pies, Chichester; Meat and Potato Pie - Pepper’s Cottage Bakery Steak & Potato Pie from Pepper’s Cottage Bakery, Matlock; Lamb Pie - Lamb, Redcurrant & Rosemary Pie from MUD Foods, Midhurst; Chicken Pie - Chicken Ham & Leek from Paul’s Proper British Pies, Buckingham; Chicken & Vegetable / Herb Pie - Chicken, Portobello Mushroom & Truffle Pie from Little & Cull Ltd, Newton Abbott; Chicken with other meat pie - Roasted Chicken & Parma Ham with Stilton & Peppercorn Sauce Pie from Nice Pie, Old Dalby; Speciality Meat & Game Pie - Speciality Meat & Game Pie from Truly Traceable Venison & Game Pies, Halesworth; Hot-Eating Savoury Pie - Spiced Miso Beef Short-ribs and Sour Cherries from Bakeshack, Dereham, Norfolk; Fish Pie - WeeCOOK Fishwife Pie from WeeCOOK, Carnoustie; Vegetarian Pie - Dickinson & Morris Cheese Potato & Caremelised Onion pie from Samworths Savoury Pastry, Leicester; Vegan Pie - Chickpea Curry Pasty from HMPasties Ltd, Bolton; Pub Pie - Cheeky Beef & Fondant Potato from Paul’s Proper British Pies, Buckingham; Sports Pie - The Two Brewers Steak & Stilton Pie from Paul’s Proper British Pies, Buckingham; Fish & Chip Shop Pie - cheeky Beef & Fondant Potato Pie from Paul’s Proper British Pies, Buckingham; Free From - Gluten Free Mooless Pie’ (Jackfruit ‘Steak’, Craft Ale, Black Pepper) from Pieminister, Bristol.