Champion of British Pie Awards announced

Sainsbury's Melton Mowbray Pork Pie produced by Walker's Charnwood Bakery has been announced the Supreme Champion in the British Pie Awards.

Winning £1000 and a weekend at Stapleford Park, Ian Heircock, master pie-maker of Walker's Charnwood Bakery said: "We are really delighted to have won, it means a lot to have our pie acknowledged by such an expert panel of judges."

Other lucky winners included Boghall Butchers who won the Fish Pie category, Pieminister, who won the Vegetarian category and Chunk of Devon who won the Cornish Pastie award.

Matthew O' Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, which hosted the awards, said: "With over 500 entrants, from the Highlands of Scotland to the Coasts of Cornwall, the Awards showed the craftsmanship of Britain's bakers and butchers and their passion for pies; our unique contribution to world food."

With 12 classes of pie, including a Football Pie class, 511 pies were entered. To qualify as pie, the entry had to be fully encased in pastry, and also be in commercial production. Each class has a winner, with gold, silver and bronze awards.

The line up of judges included Ed Bedington, editor of Meat Trades Journal, Angela Boggiano, food editor for Delicious magazine, Xanthe Clay, food writer from The Daily Telegraph, Sophie Conran, author of Sophie Conran's Pies, Tamasin Day-Lewis, author of Queen of Tarts, Sheila Dillon, presenter of The Food Programme, Radio 4, and TV chef Rachel Green.

The prestigious awards, sponsored by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, Sysonby Knoll Hotel and Stapleford Park Country House Hotel, were held at St Mary's Church in Melton Mowbray.

Words: Maria Bracken

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