A SAVOURY pie with “well balanced flavours and a neat presentation” earned Barnard Castle-based McFarlane’s Family Butchers recognition at a national competition.
Hosted in Melton Mowbray, the pie capital of England, the 2025 British Pie Awards featured 24 classes catering to all manner of tasty treats.
While a Scottish butcher was crowned supreme champion with a fusion of shortcrust pastry and spicy doner kebab, Barney butchers Stuart McFarlane and Aimee Rowe came home with a bronze award for their minted lamb creation.
The pair travelled to Melton Mowbray for the prestigious event earlier this month.
Stuart said: “We’re a little bit chuffed. We’ve entered before covid, when I think we won a silver award.
“This time we entered two pies – a pork pie and the minted lamb one. The pork pie is still the most popular in our shop, but we didn’t get a prize for that one.”
Judges’ feedback for the minted lamb pie praised it for its flavours and appearance.
Aimee, who made the entry, said: “It was Stuart’s pie really – his recipe I just made it because he was still on holiday.”
Stuart added: “We are going to develop something new for next year’s competition and we might put a suggestion box in the shop for customers to come up with ideas for the filling.”
Matthew O’Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Pork Pie Association and host of the British Pie Awards, said: “The pie is Britain’s most important contribution to world food heritage.
“The British eat over £1bn of pies each year; hot-cold, sweet-savoury and now gluten free, vegan and fusion.
“These awards celebrate the skills and ingenuity of all those involved in pie-making, from traditional recipes to more exotic creations.
“It’s been wonderful to be immersed in the collected passion for pies – traditional British fare, often showcased with a modern twist.”
Middleton-in-Teesdale Fish and Chip Shop also scooped a bronze award for their fish pie in the fish and chip shop pie category.
