A butchers shop which started out life as a market stall is now the proud owner of the 'best pie in the UK' title. SJ Bebbington Butchers in Chester won the 'best cold pie' category at the Golden Cleaver Awards, which take place in Harrogate every year, CheshireLive reports.
The awards, run by the Institute of Meat, are designed to recognise and celebrate innovation and quality in butchers shops across the UK. It's the first time SJ Bebbington Butchers have entered the awards.
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They submitted their popular pork and apple pie into the best cold pie category of the awards. And the judges were blown away with the taste and quality, describing it as an "exceptional pie" with "excellent taste and texture".
Proud owner Stuart Bebbington, who has run the shop in Westminster Park in Chester for 11 years, said he and his team were delighted with the win. Manager Andy Owen had the honour of accepting the award at the ceremony in Yorkshire on behalf of his colleagues.
It's not the first accolade that SJ Bebbington has won, with the shop being named one of the top butchers in the UK in the Butchers Shop of the Year Awards in 2012, 2017 and 2019. The shop prides itself on producing a range of cooked produce, from pies and quiches to cold meats and Scotch eggs.
This is alongside its extensive selection of meat and meat dishes and oven-ready side dishes.
Stuart had a stall on Chester's old market for 19 years before moving the business to the shop, having started his career working for Nicholsons butchers in Chester at the age of 16.
He told CheshireLive: "It's a national competition and a big event and we are absolutely delighted to have won one of only seven Golden Cleaver awards given out this year. To have come top with our pork and apple pie against competition from butchers across the UK is pretty impressive.
"We've been making the pork and apple pie for about 10 years now and it's an outstanding pie in our counter. Every pie earns its space there and this one certainly does."
Commenting on the response to news of the award win, Stuart added: "We've had a huge amount of interest on Facebook. Lots of customers have congratulated us."
It would have been rude for CheshireLive not to have sampled one of the award-winning pies, of course, and we can certainly see why the judges selected it for the honour. It was devoured in a flash, with the sweet and juicy sliced apple sitting atop the moist flavoursome pork, which is encased in a light and flaky pastry shell. We'll definitely be back for more.
The 'best cold pie' in the UK is on sale at SJ Bebbington Butchers in Westminster Park, Chester, for £2.25.
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