WHO ate all the pies?

Well in this case it won’t be the butcher or the baker. For they are too busy trying to keep up with demand after being crowned regional pork pie champions.

Sam Miles and Alex Ward who work at the Crow Farm Shop near Ringwood, currently produce up to 300 pies a week.

Their shop topped the traditional pork pie category at the South West Butchers Pork Product Excellence (BPEX) Awards which attracted 31 butchers and 190 products which were judged by a team of industry experts.

Shop manager and baker Alex Ward said: “We’ve only been making the pork pie for three months but it has already become a favourite with our customers. Our pork is from Dorset. Not only does this mean that it is fresh and flavoursome, we are able to keep supply miles down, which is great for the environment.”

Sam Miles, the butcher, who developed the recipe, said: “It is based on a traditional recipe – I’ve just tweaked the ratio of meat to seasoning. Consistency is important. The product we entered in the competition is the same one we sell in the shop.”

He added: “We got 99.5 out of 100 which one of the judges said is the second highest mark awarded in the past 15 years.”

The pie makers have now been commissioned to make a four– tier pork pie wedding cake which will weigh around 25 kilos.

“It is going to be a challenge but I’m sure we can work out how to do it,” added Sam.

Keith Fisher, BPEX butchery and product development manager, said: “Crow Farm Shop makes use of quality ingredients; their winning pork pie was full of flavour and tasted extremely fresh.

“It was a great night for butchers in the south west, who presented a fantastic array of innovative products. The quality was clear to see, with 96 per cent of those products entered picking up an award. Our congratulations go to all those who triumphed.”

The Crow Farm pork pies cost £1.75 for small and £4 for a large.