This year British Pie Week is the 6th – 12th March. British Pie Week is the first week in March from Monday 6th March through to Sunday 12th March. The British Pie Awards is at the centre of the week with judging on the 8th March and the Awards Lunch on the 10th March.
The British love a pie, in fact the Pie is our unique contribution to International Cuisine. We have developed this delicacy more than any other nation to give us the range and styles of pies that we know and love today. One of them, the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, has even gained official PGI protected status in the European Union along with its cousins the Cornish Pasty and the Forfar Bridie.
Sweet and Savoury, Hot and Cold, Fusion, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free there is now a pie for almost everyone. We have even developed the pastry casing along with the pie to include shortcrust, puff, rough puff filo, hot water crust, suet crust..
It’s worth reminding ourselves that the definition of a pie is ‘a filling totally encased in pastry and baked’. So no lattices, tarts or those casseroles with a puff pastry lid which some gastropubs etc misleadingly call ‘pies’. No Shepherd’s Pie (lamb mince with potato topping), Cottage Pie (beef mince with potato topping) or potato topped so called ‘Fish Pie’ either. Pies include pasties which were the forerunner of the pie and defined as ‘a filling encased in a single sheet of pastry which is folded over and crimped – and of course baked’. So now you know!
The British eat £1billion worth of pies every year, that’s those bought and sold commercially and so not counting those made by every self-respecting cook in home kitchens across the land throughout the year.
The highlight of the week on the Wednesday is of course the British Pie Awards in which almost 1,000 pies are judged in the magnificent St Mary’s Church (the ‘Cathedral of Pies’) in Britain’s Pie Capital Melton Mowbray. Check out to see what your local pie maker, bakery, pub, restaurant etc is doing during British Pie Week. A map of piemakers is available through the British Pie Awards website http://www.britishpieawards.co.uk.
Source: British Pie Awards
THE VILLAGE KITCHEN 