Calling all pastry lovers! Countdown to Melton's first-ever PieFest is underway

Award-winning pie makers including past Supreme Champions of the British Pie Awards will be selling their mouth-watering pies at Melton’s Cattle Market.

They will be joined by other food and drink producers from across the East Midlands and beyond offering gin, real ales, preserves, handmade chocolate, cakes, ice cream, cider, cheeses, pickles, olives and port.

Gluten free pies will also be available at PieFest including delicacies from Macclesfield-based specialist, The Gluten Free Pie Company.

PieFest organiser Dr Matthew O’Callaghan OBE, who is also chairman of the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership and Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, said: “From being the home of the classic Melton Mowbray Pork Pie to hosting the annual British Pie Awards, Melton is regarded as the UK ‘Capital of Pies’ which makes it the ideal location for the first-ever UK PieFest in 2016.

“For this first-ever PieFest, we will have around 40 exhibitors, evenly split between award-winning pie makers and complementary local produce - everything for the pie lover and more!”

PieFest will also include talks, tastings, demonstrations and workshops on how to make the perfect pie. The Pie Theatre programme includes talks on A History of Pies, Raising a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie and a Pie Clinic where visitors can put their pie and pastry woes and queries to an expert panel of cooks and pie makers.

The event runs from 10am to 4pm both days. Entry is £4 with children under 16 free. Visit www.ukpiefest.co.uk