Derbyshire piemakers celebrate after winning top awards

A Matlock piemaker is celebrating after receiving an award at the 2020 British Pie Awards.
Peppers Cottage Bakery Young PiemakerPeppers Cottage Bakery Young Piemaker
Peppers Cottage Bakery Young Piemaker

Held in Melton Mowbray, this year’s British Pie Awards saw a whopping 848 pies entered from 160 professional pie bakers, butchers and chefs from around the country. After an extensive judging process on each pie’s appearance, taste and skills by 140 experts, the pies received their awards on Friday, March 6.

Laura Pepper and Sophie Spencer, of Pepper’s Cottage Bakery in Matlock, walked away with the ‘Young Pieman Award’, along with a trophy and rosette for their minted lamb pie, which was the winner of its class.

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Turner’s Pies was crowned overall supreme champion with its top rump steak and stilton pie, replacing last year’s ‘Pie of Pies’ winner – Jon Thorner’s curried sweet potato and butternut squash vegan pie.

Back by popular demand, the ‘Fish and Chip Shop Pie’ class made its return to the British Pie Awards, won by The Cods Scallops that have once again dominated the class for the second year with a chicken, leek and ham pie.

British Pie Awards organiser Dr Matthew O’Callaghan said: “For the past 12 years, we’ve judged more than 9,000 pies since the awards were first founded in 2009.

“During that time the quality and range of pies submitted have increased significantly – a tribute to the craft and skills of the British pie maker.

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“The British eat more than £1 billion worth of pies every year and this is a celebration of the skill and craft of the piemaker.

“Pies are Britain’s unique contribution to world gastronomy.

“It goes without saying that the British Pie Awards would not be what they are today without our many judges, sponsors, volunteers and – of course – all the pie makers.

“Congratulations to all who took home awards and we look forward to seeing you next year.”

For more details on the awards and on the piemakers or for further information on the British Pie Awards, visit www.britishpieawards.co.uk and follow @britishpies on Twitter.