2012 was the most successful year yet for the British Pie Awards, as their reputation, prestige and public ‘reach’ continues to grow.
90 judges required
More than 900 pies from over 140 producers were submitted and judged by a panel of 90 judges including celebrity chefs Rachel Green and Phil Vickery; food media/writers including Charles Campion (Evening Standard), Xanthe Clay (Daily Telegraph), Lydia Slater (Daily mail), and Allan Jenkins (Observer Food Monthly); and bakery/food experts including buyers from Fortnum& mason, Selfridges, and other master butchers and bakers.
Massive media coverage
The event attracted more national media and press attention than ever from both consumer and trade, and in the run-up and following the judging. Coverage included TV – BBC1 The One Show, BBC East Midlands, ITV Central, ITV Loose Women; Radio – BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans, BBC Radio 4 Food Programme, BBC Radio Leicester; and Press – The Telegraph Weekend, Melton Times, Leicester Mercury, Jersey Evening Post, Lincolnshire Echo, and other regional press coverage of winners; and Trade Press – British Baker, Meat Trade Journal, NFU Countryside. And, of course, online coverage was led by H&C News!
Total coverage was estimated to be 36 million consumers – a massive demonstration of the interest that media and consumers have in pies.
H&C News to sponsor 2013 Awards
For 2013, there are 20 categories of pies, and H&C News – organisers of the Football Pie League that attracts tens of thousands of online supporters through the football season – is delighted to announce that it will be sponsoring the Football Pie category.
This category is for pies that are sold commercially at football clubs, to be eaten hot. Description: A class open to Football Clubs and/or their suppliers whose entries are commercially sold at their Clubs. The name of only one Club must accompany each entry. Entries may be any shape and may weigh up to 600g.
What next?
- Make sure your organisation – and your associates or colleagues – is aware of the Awards, and encourage them to enter. If you don’t enter, you don’t win: if you don’t win, you don’t get the sales benefit of all that publicity!
- Make a note of the entry date: the closing date for entries is10 April 2013, judging takes place in Melton Mowbray on 24 April, and successful pie makers from each class will be invited to an all new Awards Pie Lunch on Thursday 25 April.
- Check out the categories: new classes have been added to the line up including new chicken categories and a brand new ‘free from’ speciality pie class has also been launched – open to all sweet or savoury, gluten or wheat free pies. Details of all categories from: www.britishpieawards.co.uk
