Pie champion crowned at British Pie Awards
One of the runners up was a rhubarb and custard dessert pie
A meat and potato pie has been crowned Supreme Champion at this year's world-famous British Pie Awards.
More than 800 entries were judged at the home of the pork pie - Melton Mowbray.
One of the runners up was a rhubarb and custard dessert pie.
Matthew O'Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association and host of the British Pie Awards said:
"We've had 800 pies entered - a cracking lot of judges, some really interesting pies," he added.
"The British pie is back on the menu, but it was tough.
"Obviously we didn't know if it was going to be Covid or not, we've spaced the tables out, we've taken a number of safety measures so as to limit the impact of Covid.
"But it has been tough.
"Pie-makers have gone under, sadly.
"There are others who are short-staffed, others who are working their socks off because the hospitality sector is open.
"So it has been really tough getting people to put pies in (for entry), getting the judges; the whole thing has been twice as difficult as before, but it's happening - the pies are back."
As for the sometimes thorny issue of what people think constitutes a pie, for the purposes of entries Mr O'Callaghan said the rules are clear - and even have a definition backed by Parliament.
"A pie is a filling completely encased in pastry and baked," he said.
"So it's not samosas, which are not baked, it's not tarts, it's not fripperty things with lattices and all those sorts of things.
"Interestingly, the House of Commons debated that definition some time ago and I am sure they came to the right conclusion - that's what a pie is.
"I hate going into a pub and being served a pie and effectively it is a biscuit with nothing on the bottom, in a foil.
"No, that's not a pie, that's a casserole with a biscuit on top.
"A pie has to be totally encased in pastry - lid, bottom and sides."
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