The British Pie Awards are set to return this year and are now officially open for entries.

The event, organised by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, will take place in St Mary’s Church, Melton Mowbray, on Wednesday 25 April 2012.

In 2011, the awards received more than 600 entries from 118 bakers and butchers and the organisers are expecting a similar level of interest in 2012.

The organisers have also amended the category list so that the hot savoury category is now broken down into proteins, with a lamb, chicken and beef category, alongside the old favourite of steak & kidney pie.

The Supreme Champion 2011, Graham Amison from Morecambe Football Club, who was crowned for his Chicken, Ham and Leek Football Pie, commented: “Winning the title of Supreme Champion at such competitive awards in 2011 was, without doubt, the proudest moment of my 15-year career as a chef.  As a result, we have received great levels of media coverage, which has helped to raise even further the profile of this popular product among our loyal football customers who recognise the quality of our pies.”

Organisers have renamed the Apple Pie class, which had always specified a Bramley apple filling, as the Bramley Apple Pie class. Fillings for this pie will have to comply with the TSG specification for the filling available on the Defra website. Other protected foods featuring in the Awards are the Cornish Pasty and the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, both of which they have their own class.

For further information and details of how to enter, visit www.britishpieawards.co.uk.

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