As the deadline for entries to the 2017 British Pie Awards draws near (17 February), this year’s stellar judging panel has been revealed. The world-famous Awards, now in their ninth year, will take place on Wednesday 8 March in the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray – the nation’s capital of Pies.
The Awards, held during British Pie Week (6-13 March 2017) and hosted by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, celebrate our nation’s love of pies – one of the true icons of British cuisine. An impressive line-up of over 70 expert pie judges are confirmed to date – with further opportunities remaining for experts and pie lovers to join the panel. The list of pie aficionados includes national food writers including Rachel Walker of the Sunday Times, Leah Hyslop of Sainsbury’s Magazine and Olive Magazine food director Janine Ratcliffe. Other foodie experts include established food historian Marc Meltonville, Colin Lomax of the British Society of Baking and Roast head chef, Stuart Cauldwell.
The 2016 British Pie Awards (BPA) saw an astounding 816 pies entered from 132 professional bakers, butchers and chefs. This year, for the first time, pie makers can apply online by filling out an application form on the BPA website.
There are 21 classes to enter this year including this year’s themed class. In celebration of the magnificent traditional pies associated with different regions across Britain, entrants are invited to create a traditional Regional Pie. For this category, the special judges welcome everything from the Forfar Bridie in Scotland to the Midland’s Bedfordshire Clanger – as long as it follows BPA rules (available at www.britishpieawards.co.uk).
Matthew O’Callaghan, Chairman of the British Pie Awards, said: “We’re so looking forward to the British Pie Awards – an opportunity to celebrate traditional British craftsmanship.
“We’ve lined up another great panel of expert judges and we’re already so impressed by the number of pies that have been entered. If you’ve only just heard about the Awards however, don’t panic! There’s still plenty of time to submit your entry forms online and get involved.
“We cannot wait to see this year’s offerings!”
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
If you’re interested in supporting this year’s awards, there are two sponsorship opportunities remaining including Supreme Champion – the ultimate winner chosen from all class champions. If you are interested in sponsoring BPA, contact [email protected]
THERE’S STILL TIME TO GET INVOLVED
Entry to the Awards is still open and will run until 17 February 2017. It’s open to anyone who sells pies commercially in the UK, with a special rate for companies employing fewer than five pie makers. This year, for the first time, pie makers are able to enter the awards by filling out an online entry form on the website, where there is also a full list of this year’s classes: www.britishpieawards.co.uk. If you are interested in judging at this year’s Awards, contact: [email protected].