Pie-lovers and producers to converge on Melton this weekend for PieFest

If you love pies then Melton is the place to be this weekend with the popular annual PieFest food festival set to go ahead at the town's livestock market.
Crowds at Melton Cattle Market sample a tempting variety of pies, pastries and bread at the 2017 PieFest  PHOTO: Tim Williams EMN-180723-110530001Crowds at Melton Cattle Market sample a tempting variety of pies, pastries and bread at the 2017 PieFest  PHOTO: Tim Williams EMN-180723-110530001
Crowds at Melton Cattle Market sample a tempting variety of pies, pastries and bread at the 2017 PieFest PHOTO: Tim Williams EMN-180723-110530001

Pie-makers will be coming from across the UK to take part in this year’s event, where visitors will enjoy sampling, buying, eating and there will be talks, tastings, demonstrations and workshops on how to make the perfect pie.

The Pie Theatre programme includes presentations on the history of pies, a demonstration of how to raise a traditional Melton Mowbray Pork Pie and a ‘Pie Panel’ where visitors can put their pie and pastry queries to an expert panel of cooks and pie makers.

Matthew O’Callaghan, from the Melton Mowbray Food Partnership, and organiser of PieFest 2018, said: “Pies are a real staple of the British food industry and we have a wide range of tastes and flavours at this year’s event for people to try and buy.

“The highlight of the event is a celebration of UK pie-making but we’ll also have many other stalls with sweet and savoury treats, drinks and other food-related items for people to enjoy over the weekend.”

There will be pies on offer to suit all tastes, with Vork Pies bringing their exquisitely presented vegan pies and there will also be gluten-free pies for attendees to taste.

For those who like their pies hot, the Pie Kitchen will serve oven-cooked pies with a choice of accompaniments, including the mash, gravy and mushy peas from the aptly named Mushy Pea Company.

The hot weather is expected to hold for the event, which is on from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday, so visitors will be pleased to hear that there will be cold beer and cider available, as well as Ferneley’s ice cream, a popular local brand which started being produced recently.

As well as pies, there will be stalls selling cheese, cakes, wine and chutneys, among other foods. Everything will be undercover.

Admission is £4, if tickets are bought in advance, or £5 on the gate, with children under 16 getting in free. Visit www.ukpiefest.co.uk to book tickets or get more information.

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