Old Dalby piemaker recognised in global foodie bucket list

Travel guide Lonely Planet asked its reviewers, bloggers and food experts to come up with the 500 best eating experiences in the world.

It has just published the final selections in a new book called Ultimate Eatlist, with tapas in northern Spain being ranked as the best of the lot.

And in a very impressive 186th spot is pork pie, with a name check for Melton Mowbray as the place where the best pies are made and a recommendation to sample those being sold by Nice Pie.

The family business, which is based at Gorse Farm, on Six Hills Lane, Old Dalby, has expanded rapidly since being featured on top-rating TV shows and owners Phil and Kath Walmsley say the book recommendation will spread their brand across the world.

Phil told the Melton Times: “We knew nothing about being in the Lonely Planet book until customers starting telling us about it and showing us national press stories.

“Someone must have visited our tea shop because there is a photo of one of our pies in the book.

“We knew our Nice Pork Pies were popular because we sold 3,000 last Christmas but this is a great achievement for us to get in a book like this.”

Matthew O’Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership and organiser of the British Pie Awards at Melton, said: “It’s really positive for the reputation of the Melton area for food that one of the world’s most prestigious guide books lists a Melton establishment in the top 200 places in the world to eat and that it’s a pie in particular that is being recommended.

“We’re doing a lot to promote food and tourism in the borough and this only validates our efforts.

“Well done to Nice Pie for their international accolade.”