The Dickinson & Morris Melton Mowbray Pork Pie has been crowned as ‘Pie of pies’ at this year’s prestigious National Pie Awards and named ‘Supreme Champion’. This year saw a record number of 154 producers from across the UK enter the popular competition. Nearly 900 pies, including over 200 beef or steak pies, 90 pork pies, 137 chicken pies and 46 pasties, were judged at this year’s awards by over 100 judges.
Walker & Son, Ginsters, Tamar Foods and the West Cornwall Pasty Co. also enjoyed a host of wins and awards in the hotly contested competition.
Walker and Son triumphed with four Class Champion awards in the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, Pork Pie, Beef and Ale Pie, and Savoury Pies categories, plus Ginsters was awarded highly commended in the Pasty category for its flagship product the Original Cornish Pasty. Tamar Foods received a highly commended in the Chicken Pie category, plus there were three silver awards for Walker & Son in the Chicken & Vegetable/Herb Pie category, Chicken and Other Meat Pie category and the “Free From Pie” category. West Cornwall Pasty Co. achieved silver awards for its Cornish Pasty and Spicy Chilli Beef Pasty, and a bronze for its Vegan Green Thai Pasty.
Dickinson & Morris brand manager Sunita Bala was presented with the Supreme Champion award at the British Pie Awards ceremony. Head judge at the Awards, Ian Nelson from Hovis and deputy head judge Steve Barnes, from Slattery’s in Bury, had the responsibility of picking this year’s champion from the 21 class winners.
Nelson said: “Faced with 21 superb pies, picking one for the top title is a tough job but this year’s winner is deservedly so. It’s an outstanding pie: a good even bake with wonderfully crisp pastry and a beautifully seasoned, perfectly balanced filling – we just wanted to keep eating it!”
The winning D&M Melton Mowbray Pork Pie was made by Walker & Son Master Pie Maker, Ian Heircock.