Turner’s Steak & Stilton Pie wins 2020 British Pie Awards
Turner’s Steak and Stilton Cheese Pie – Supreme Champion
The 12th British Pie Awards has crowned its Supreme Champion today and – in a return to tradition – a Top Rump Steak & Stilton Pie has triumphed as the best British pie of 2020.
The world-renowned Awards, which take place annually in the Rural Capital of Food Melton Mowbray, saw close to 900 pies entered by a whopping 160 professional bakers, butchers and chefs from around the country. The Awards mark the grand crescendo of British Pie Week, celebrated 2nd-8th March 2020.
Made by family-run bakery, Turner’s Pies, the Top Rump & Steak & Stilton Pie replaces last year’s Curried Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Vegan Pie as champion. The West Sussex pie maker also took home the cup in 2018 with a near perfect score of 99/100.
Speaking at the Awards, Chief Judge Colin Woodhead commended the pie for its attractive appearance with neat crimping on the edge and golden bake: “The pastry had an even thickness, with a crunchy rich texture. The filling was well balanced between meat and cheese which gave a subtle taste and the meat, though tender, still having ‘bite’. Overall a cracking pie!”.
No stranger to Britain’s most hotly contested pie-athon, Turner’s has also won Class Champion in the Beef and Cheese Pie Class, picking up a full baker’s dozen of awards in total this year.
British Pie Awards organiser Dr Matthew O’Callaghan said: “Turner’s of Sussex certainly know how to make an excellent pie. They won Supreme Champion in 2018 with their Steak & Ale Pie and now they’ve done it again, but this time with Stilton cheese. Cheese in pies was a winning formula this year, appearing in five winning classes.
“Besides winning the Supreme Champion – or ‘Pie of Pies’ – title, Turner’s also won three Highly Commended Awards, three Golds, four Silvers and two Bronzes. With their record, they are undisputedly Britain’s Best Pie Maker.”
Claiming victory in the Vegan category, MUD Foods (also nicknamed Mud Pies) was judged Class Champion for its Squash, Spinach and Feta Pie. Highly Commended accolades were given to Chunk of Devon for its Vegan Spicy Jack Pie and Ginsters of Cornwall for its Vegan Quorn Pasty.
A fan favourite from BBC documentary Life of Pies, Zainab Bilal of Pie Mezzanae has been awarded Class Champion in the Hot Eating Savoury Pie category for her Cheese & Onion bake.
With this year’s vegan category receiving the second highest number of entries, plant-based pies (the likes of Naughty Vegan No Beef Here Pasty) battled it out against meaty favourites (Pissed Cow Pie – or rather, Steak & Ale) – with more avant-garde flavours on the menu too ,including Vegan Haggis Pie.
Speaking ahead of the event, Vanessa Brown from the Vegetarian Society – and one of the Pie Awards judges – said: “It’s brilliant to see vegetarian and vegan pies thriving in the Pie Awards this year. From glitzy showbiz events like the Golden Globes to your local high street, it’s clear vegetarian and vegan is an increasingly popular choice.”
Phil Turner said: “We are extremely thrilled to be the only dedicated Pie Shop to be dubbed Ultimate Champion twice at the British Pie Awards. Our customers say nice things about our pies and it means a lot to us but this is a great experience and reassuring to us and our customers alike.
After previously winning the Supreme Champion award in 2018 we released our Pies by Post service. It’s the very same range of award winning pies, freshly baked daily and sent nationwide by overnight courier. It works well and it’s been really popular!
Over the years it has been our returning customers who have provided the continued support that has enabled us to focus on producing an affordable premium product that only gets better.
We have to thank our small but fantastic team of pie people in our kitchen and shops who understand our ethics of quality and tradition. Everyone is into it, they will be thrilled to see this.
Turners Pies Ltd
www.turnerspies.co.uk
Chichester, West Sussex
Media Partners Wild West Communications – Rebecca Bennett 01872 243 560