More than 1,000 entries for this year's British Pie Awards at Melton Mowbray

An army of 180 judges will once again be tasked to chomp their way through a huge variety of pies at the town’s St Mary’s Church on Wednesday March 4, with trophies set to be presented at the same venue two days later.

For the first time in years, the humble ‘cold eating Pork Pie’ is the most frequently entered pie, followed by the nation’s favourite Steak and Ale Pie.

Third most popular entry this year is the new Fusion Class, which is a mix of a British pie encasing a filling from one of the ethnic cuisines that now make up the British culinary experience.

Among the more unusual entries are a Haggis Neeps & Tatties Pie, Boozy Cherry Pie, Chicken Shawarma Pie, WEECOOK Fishwife Pie, Double Cheeseburger pie, Mary’s missing me, Rasta Pie, Sticky Sichuanaise Confit Duck Black Cherry Pie and a Vesuvius Pompeii Pizza Pie.

Among the local entries are from Melton’s own Samosa Wallah, who has entered a ‘Piemosa’ – his take on the traditional samosa filling but in a pastry envelope and baked to comply with the BPA definition of a pie.

Organiser of the Awards, Dr Matthew O’Callaghan, says pies are Britain’s foremost contribution to the world’s food heritage – we eat an amazing £1 billion worth of them every year.

He said: “We make pies like no other nation with a variety of fillings and different pastries to produce a whole range of pies; hot – cold, sweet – savoury, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free etc there’s a pie for everyone.

“The British Pie Awards are a unique celebration of the British Pie.”

Premier League giants will be locking horns in the Sports Club Pie, with the 40 entries including pies from Manchester City, Spurs, Liverpool, Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, as well as Scottish teams Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Clachnacuddin FC.

There are also entries of pies baked by prisoners working in rehabilitation schemes, including from HMP Haverigg, in Cumbria, and a company called HM Pasties, based in Oldham.

Surprisingly, one of the lowest number of entries is for the Vegan Pie category, which had been one of the most popular in recent years and provided a Supreme Champion pie in 2022.

All entries will be competing for the prestigious Supreme Champion honour, won in 2025 by Boghall Butcher’s Fusion ‘Kebab Pie’. The owners won an expenses paid trip to the British Food Fair, in Osaka, Japan, and this year’s winners will receive that same prize.

Piemakers will be competing in 26 categories at the awards, which are held during British Pie Week, between March 2 and 8.

The last locally-produced Supreme Champion came from Brockleby's Pies, with their ‘Moo and Blue’ pie, a steak and ale filling with Stilton cheese, in 2023.

Last year saw plenty of success for Melton’s Ye Olde Pie Shoppe, which won the classes 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.