British Pie Awards – entries up 50% from last year

This record number of pies will be competing for the title of Supreme Champion at the 4th annual British Pie Awards taking place tomorrow (Wednesday 25th April) in St. Mary's Church, Melton Mowbray. The competition is organised and hosted by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association (MMPPA). The pies will be judged by a number of top food writers, pie experts and celebrity chefs including top food critic Charles Campion, food writer Xanthe Clay and TV chef Rachel Green. Matthew O'Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, commented: "In just four years the Pie Awards have grown in scale far beyond our expectations. The Awards have attracted interest from Pie makers, the media and the general public. With more entries coming in from all over the UK, despite these times of austerity, it is heartening to see the pride we as a nation take in our Pies. "It is also reassuring the credibility our event has with the industry and the effect that winning in the Pie Awards can have on a Pie Makers business. The Pie Awards is a significant feature of Melton Mowbray as the Rural Capital of Food."