Melton producers celebrate success at the British Pie Awards

Judges gathered at Melton’s St Mary’s Church on Wednesday to assess nearly 900 pies in 26 classes and the trophies were handed out today back at the church.

Ye Olde Pie Shoppe, in Nottingham Street, Melton, took home the prizes for best Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, Pork Pie and Large Speciality Pie with their Christmas Dinner Pork Pie.

And Samworth Brothers’, Dickinson & Morris took the top Savoury Pie prize for The Festive Firecracker, developed by esteemed pie chef, Calum Franklin.

The pie-makers beat off 115 other mouth-watering entries across these four categories to take home the iconic accolades.

Ye Olde Pie Shoppe has been making and baking pies for over 170 years, while its supermarket arm, Dickinson & Morris, has been providing pork pies to the nation for almost 30 years.

Its relationship with Calum Franklin has been a great success to date, with Calum scooping several prestigious food awards for the beautiful centrepiece pies he develops with the team.

After the presentations, Matthew O’Callaghan, chairman of the Mowbray Pork Pie Association and host of the British Pie Awards, commented: “This year's awards have been a fantastic tribute to the nation's deep affection for pies, with an incredible atmosphere and an unprecedented level of creativity on display.

"Ye Olde Pie Shoppe has emerged victorious in the highly competitive pork pie categories with their Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, Pork Pie and Christmas Dinner Pork Pie and we’re delighted to see Calum Franklin’s Festive Firecracker win for Dickinson & Morris.

"These awards highlight the talent and innovation of pie makers across the UK, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to them on these well-deserved wins.”

This year’s coveted Supreme Champion title was taken by Scottish producers, Boghall Butchers, of Bathgate, with their Kebab Pie.

Judges hailed the pie, which contains chicken, beef, chilli marinade and a sweet chilli sauce, as having ‘an excellent overall bake and presentation’.

The winners will now jet to Japan as part of their prize to give them an opportunity to boost exports.

Now in its 17th year, this year’s pies ranged from trusted traditional flavour combinations like Steak & Ale to more experimental recipes like Moroccan goat, saffron & prune, alongside Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free Pies.

This year’s awards saw the return of the Fusion Pie class, which combines the British tradition of a fully enclosed pastry but with fillings based on global flavour profiles.

Pie experts entered in their droves, rustling up a delicious storm of innovative pie fillings, including Toffee Apple Pie, Indian Style Butter Chicken & Cheddar Pie and Pie Flower Salmon 'Chaï-Matchaï'.

A record 169 judges took part this year, including representatives from Selfridges, M&S and Fortnum and Mason, alongside esteemed food writers and a Great British Bake-Off winner, as well as a plethora of chefs and pie experts.

The awards were organised by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association and include Stephen Hallam and Mark Beeston as co-organisers.

The Melton Building Society returned as headline sponsor of the awards, as part of their 150th year anniversary celebrations.

Main winners:

Supreme Champion – Kebab Pie, Boghall Butchers Bathgate West Lothian, Scotland;

Small Producer Award – Tom de Terre, Manchester;

Newcomer Award – Mariage Frères, London;

Young Piemaker – Cairn Robbie (WEECOOK).

Class winners:

1 Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Dickinson & Morris Hand Crafted Melton Mowbray Pork Pie 790g – Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe of MELTON MOWBRAY;

2 Pork Pie Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe Pork Pie 790g – Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe of MELTON MOWBRAY;

3 Savoury Pie – Dickinson & Morris The Festive Cracker by Calum Franklin, Samworth Brothers Savoury Pastry of Leicester;

4 Large Speciality Pie – Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe Christmas Dinner Pork Pie, MELTON MOWBRAY;

5 Pasty – The Phat Pasty Co Keralan Cauliflower & Onion Bhaji Pasty. Vegan, Phat Pasty Co of Shipston-on-Stour;

6 Dessert Pie – Dunston Hall Mince Pie with Clementine Pastry, Dunston Hall Food Hall of Chesterfield;

7 Steak & Kidney Pie – Shin of beef and ox kidney pie, York House Foods of Potton;

8 Beef & Gravy Pie – Owen Taylors Steak Pie, Owen Taylor & Sons of Alfreton;

9 Steak & Ale Pie – Steak & Ale Pie by Fuud Ltd FUUD Ltd of Leigh on Sea;

10 Steak & Wine Pie – Steak & Malbec Pie with Barbers Cheddar Pastry, Little & Cull Ltd of Newton Abbot;

11 Beef & Cheese Pie – Kevin's Steak & Stilton, Kevin's Pies of Rotherham;

12 Beef & Vegetable Pie – M&S Gastropub Dry Aged Beef Pie by Tom Cranswick, Yorkshire Baker of Malton;

13 Meat & Potato Pie – Tom de Terre Corned Beef Pie, Tom de Terre of Manchester;

14 Lamb Pie – Minted Lamb Pie, Anton's Butchers of Colyton;

15 Chicken or Chicken & Vegetable/Herb Pie – Chicken & Thatchers Pie, Billington Foods of Wellingborough;

16 Chicken & Ham Pie – WEECOOK Chicken & Bacon Pie, WEECOOK of Arbroath;

17 Game Pie – Duck & Wild Mushroom Pie, Little & Cull Ltd of Newton Abbot;

18 Hot-Eating Savoury Pie – WEEECOOK MacChook Pie, WEECOOK of Arbroath;

19 Fish Pie – Mrs Farmhouse’s "Fish Pie", The Farmhouse Kitchen Co of Southport;

20 Vegetarian Pie – The Bell's Red Lentil, Chick Pea and Spinach Curry Pie, The Bell Hotel & Pie Shop of Winslow;

21 Vegan Pie – Vegan Masala, Pieminister of Bristol;

22 Pub Pie – Woodmans Arms Boozy Beef Bourguignon Pie, DWC Enterprises of Whickham;

23 Sports Club Pie – Chicken Chip Shop Curry Pie, Pullman Jacks Ltd of Liverpool;

24 Fish & Chip Shop Pie – Big John's Highland Flinger, The Farmhouse Kitchen Co of Southport;

25 Gluten Free Pie – MADK'S Beefin' Brisket Good Pie, Mad K Ltd of Portsmouth;

26 Fusion Pie – Kebab pie, Boghall Butchers of Bathgate.