Sunday 27 April 2014

Which punderful pie will reign supreme at the British Pie Awards 2014?

We are now just days away from the sixth British Pie Awards and the comPIEtition couldn’t be stronger. There will be 825 entries judged under 19 classes – ranging from small pie producers to the country’s largest pie-makers. But only one can be named Supreme Champion 2014!



british pie awards
L-R: Mark Beeston, Matthew O’Callaghan & Stephen Hallam of Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association - organisers of the British Pie Awards 2014.

Pierateers from the web’s leading pie review website – www.pierate.co.uk – will of course be there judging the pies and doing plenty of tweeting in the lead up to the British Pie Awards 2014 (#bpa14). You also won’t be surPIEsed to find out we’ll have tweet by tweet analysis from the British Pie Awards itself (like in 2013) with Pierateer RAS there as a helper and media on Wednesday 30th April, and we will report on the awards post event and awards lunch, announcing the winning pies!

Of course pie rating is a very serious responsibility – which you will see when reading the hundreds of pie reviews on our pie blog. But you will also notice that we like a bit of pun and games too, which we will also be encouraging at the awards through supplying a suggested pie puns card for judges to crack out during proceedings as they see fit. After all, pies are to be enjoyed and celebrated, providing insPIEration and hopefully PIEfection.

The Pie Awards themselves will have 19 classes that recognise British classics including Beef and Ale Pies, Chicken Pies, Steak and Kidney Pies, Pork Pies and, of course, Melton Mowbray Pork Pies. Pasties, pub pies and football pies will also be honoured, along with dessert pies, vegetarian pies and a savoury pie category. This year's speciality class, A Pie Fit For A Hero, recognises those providing food for Britain's Armed Services in the centenary year of the start of the First World War.

You’ll find that the Pierateers have rated lots of different categories of pies – including those covered by the British Pie Awards – by visiting our Pies: Categorised page.

MMPPA chairman Matthew O'Callaghan said: "Britain is rightly proud of its pies and the British Pie Awards are a celebration of pie producers and bakers, putting their craft in the spotlight. Since the launch of the awards six years ago, the event has grown both in size and in stature. With high-calibre entrants and a wide range of expert judges the awards are recognised as a true mark of quality within the industry and among the public.”

Of course those of you who are regulars on the web’s leading pie reviewing website Pierate already know that Pierateer Tim will be one of those expert pie judges, having rated hundreds of pies that you can see in our pie rankings table.

The panel of 110 judges, which includes food writers, master bakers, chefs and restaurateurs, is led by chairman of the judges Ian Nelson, of Hovis Ltd. He said: "It is a real honour to be heading up the judging panel at the British Pie Awards, an event I have always supported as an opportunity for bakers and pie-makers - and British food - to shine. The task ahead of us is huge with so many entries to be tasted and judged today in 19 different categories but we are all ready for the challenge and excited to be sampling the best pies the nation has to offer."

Joining the judging panel is TV chef and street food afficionado Andy Bates, aka the Pie Man, and he said: “My passion is for great British food and the pie is the perfect way to enjoy quality ingredients and brilliant cooking, whether it’s a traditional recipe or ones with an inspired new twist. I’ve been really looking forward to getting my teeth into picking the best pies from across Britain and am delighted to be in the company of so many top pie producers and knowledgeable judges.”

You won’t be surprised to know we’ve rated a pie made by judge Andy Bates – founder of Eat My Pies – which is the number one hit when you google “Eat My Pies Pie Review” – and we hope to enjoy more in the future.

And having enjoyed and highly rated the Supreme Champion 2013, we are looking forward to seeing who takes the title at the British Pie Awards 2014! May the best pie win!!!


For a flavour of what the British Pie Awards are like, here's a video we made of the event last year, including the epic pie hymn!


RAS

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