A Scottish butcher’s kebab pie has taken the top spot as “pie of pies” at the British Pie Awards.
The fusion pie, made by Boghall Butchers of Bathgate in West Lothian, was crowned supreme champion at the event in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
The awards, hosted in the home of the pork pie, saw the unique pie beat 900 entries from across the UK.
Among them were a chicken tikka pie, a pie flower salmon chaï-matchaï, a Caribbean-style jerk spiced turkey pie with cranberry sauce and a butternut and malabar pie.
Christine and Paul Boyle’s award-winning pie has a doner kebab filling made from chicken, beef and a chilli marinade with a sweet chilli sauce.
The couple, of Boghall Butchers, take the title of supreme champion from Middleton-In-Teesdale Fish and Chip Shop which won with its minted Wensleydale lamb and potato pie last year.
Mr Boyle told BBC Scotland he cried after winning.
“I couldn’t get my words out, I’ve never been emotional like that, we’ve been working at becoming champion since 2009, we are absolutely delighted,” he said.
He said he was “absolutely flabbergasted” when he heard his family butcher, which opened 50 years ago, had won.
“I was shaking with emotion and finally regained my composure so I could speak to accept the award,” he added.
His daughter, Mariesha Boyle, 45, helped him make the pie.
They decided to make it after young customers started asking for them to make a pie with kebab meat.
He said: “We had to develop it for the English market for the competition because they love shortcrust pastry.
“We used the same recipe we use in the shop but did it in a short crust pastry and the judges were absolutely delighted with it.”
Senior judge Mike Holling described the kebab pie as having an excellent overall bake and presentation, amazing pastry, a filling which was tasty and well-seasoned, that “definitely had the wow factor”.
Following their win, the supreme champions will be invited to Japan, to showcase the winning pie as part of the British food week in October at the Hankyu Department Store in Osaka.
This year, the judging panel included representatives from Selfridges, M&S and upmarket department store Fortnum and Mason, as well as food writers, a Great British Bake Off winner, chefs and pie experts.
Pies have been with around since the Middle Ages when they were called coffyns.
At that time the poor ate pies made from the entrails of venison, which are called umbles – hence the expression ‘to eat umble pie”.
Matthew O’Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Pork Pie Association and host of the British Pie Awards, said: “The pie is Britain’s most important contribution to world food heritage.
“The British eat over £1bn of pies every year, hot-cold, sweet-savoury and now gluten free, vegan, fusion etc.
“These awards celebrate the skills and ingenuity of all those involved in pie-making, from traditional recipes to more exotic creations, it’s been wonderful to be immersed in the collected passion for pies – traditional British fare, often showcased with a modern twist.”
