Sandra's limerick captures iconic Melton pork pie shoppe on its 175th birthday
An excellent limerick commemorating the 175th birthday of Melton Mowbray’s iconic Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe won Melton Times reader Sandra Ford a luxury hamper.
Sandra, who lives in in the town, entered a competition we ran in the paper, in conjunction with the Dickinson and Morris business, which is based on Nottingham Street.
Richard Griffiths, manager of Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, challenged readers to share a favourite memory of the shop, through a letter, poem, video, short story, photo, artwork or even a dance.
Sandra’s entry was judged the best. It reads:
There once was a Grandma called Mary,
Whose pie recipe she tried to vary,
The resultant pork pie,
Was a culinary high,
Of copycats you must be wary!
Her Grandson John set up the shoppe,
To take Melton pork pies to the toppe,
A hundred and 75 years on,
They're the pie paragon,
And we're certain that won't ever stoppe!
A street party was held outside the historic business on Saturday to round off a week of celebratory events.
There was also a heritage evening at the shop where visitors joined a local historian and two master bakers to hear stories about the shop’s history and bake and taste pies.
The first 175 customers last Tuesday to buy a Melton Mowbray pork pie received a special commemorative gift.
Pie demonstrations with the shop’s master bakers took place throughout the week.
The shop has been on its current site since 1851, although it was rebuilt in 1992 following a devastating fire and underwent a major refurbishment in 2024.