East Yorkshire family butcher renowned for creating everything from scratch vies for prestigious award

The annual event is held during British Pie Week in Melton Mowbray and honours the best pie-makers across the UK, from small independents to large-scale producers.

With over 20 categories judged by industry experts, chefs, food critics, and passionate pie lovers, its dedicated to recognising excellence in pie-making. The pies are credited on appearance, pastry quality, filling, flavour, and overall presentation.

The contest attracts entries from butchers, bakers, pubs and chefs up and down the UK, with an all expenses paid tribute to Japan to take part in a world pie contest up for grabs for this year’s winner.

J A Mounfield & Son Ltd has entered three pies into the awards - its prize-winning 1Ib pork pie, which has won the Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards Pork Pie category for seven years, as well as a Family Chicken and Ham Pie, and a Family Steak Pie.

The family butcher has been in business since 1890 and with animals sourced from local farmers, and an on-site abattoir, its produce has full traceability from field to plate.

"Everything we make is obviously slaughtered on site and then it comes right through the butcher's shop," said Emma Mounfield, a fifth generation butcher at J A Mounfield & Son Ltd.

"We produce the meat in here and then it goes through to the guys in the bakery and they make the pies in there, so everything is from scratch.

"Our 1lb pork pie, which we are most well known for, has won the best Yorkshire pork pie seven years running at the Delicious Yorkshire Awards."

Emma's father David Mounfield, now 73, began making the pies with his sister Anne in 1987.

Emma, 25, and her cousin James Mounfield are the fifth generation to join the family business which dates back 136 years, and employs 16 staff members.

When asked about the popularity of the pies, Emma added: "I think it's the full traceability of it really, and I think the history of behind our pies as well, from the recipes coming from my great grandparents years and years ago, that it's all kind of stayed the same."

J A Mounfield & Son Ltd are competing against a record 1,012 pies entered into the annual awards and it's the first time they have entered the prestigious event.

Butcher James Mounfield told GB News: "They've always been known for producing a good pie. Deliciously Yorkshire have noticed that year after year after year. Every year you keep thinking not again, but it keeps coming up.

"All our customers like them, so it's great go to the next stage and go national with it - it'll be interesting to see how we get on."

The business has expanded and evolved over the years and has its butchers shop, a bakery, an on-site abattoir, and an online shop.

For the customers here, J A Mounfield & Son's pies already slice up any competition.Linda Ryan has been buying meat and pies from the store for more than 20 years.

She told GB News: "I like the fact that the meat is all sourced locally and they're really good quality products."The pork pies are excellent and I really like all of them. I'm afraid that's why I'm not a size ten."

When asked about the pies, customer Mr Graham added: "They are to die for - it's a good pie and mash with loads of gravy. You don't have to do anything at home, it's perfect."

With the winners announced this National Pie Week in Melton Mowbray, the best of British baking will earn its crust this British Pie Week, which runs from Monday, March, 2 – Sunday, March 8.

A spokesman for the British Pie Awards said: “The pie is one of the icons of British cuisine and probably one of Britain’s most important contributions to international cuisine."Savoury or sweet, hot or cold, the British eat millions of them every year worth over £1billion in total.

“These awards are a national celebration of British Pies in all their varieties and they have been running since 2009.”

Judging for the British Pie Awards takes place in Melton Mowbray on Wednesday 4 March, with the Awards Lunch on Friday 6 March.

To find out more, click here https://britishpieawards.co.uk/