Pieminister has opened its flagship store in Leeds – its biggest yet – as it gears up for a summer pies launch next month. 

It serves pies, hot pots, salads and snacks, with craft beers and cocktails also on offer. Pies can be ‘pimped up’ for £1.50 with a skewer of chorizo, courgette fritters, cider-battered onion rings or halloumi cheese.

Jon Simon, Pieminister founder, said: “Leeds is a fantastic place with a great vibe – that’s why we’ve chosen the city for our biggest restaurant to date. We can’t wait to fire up our ovens and get baking. Fans of Pieminister love what we stand for – good pies, good times and great cocktails and we have no doubt Leeds will be the same.

“We’ve already seen a great response on social media to our arrival and we’re looking forward to getting to know our regulars over the coming months.”

Two special Somerset cider pies will be launched on 1 June and remain available to buy wholesale until September. Tipsy Chick is a free-range British chicken and ham pie with seasonal summer vegetables including peas, broad beans, mint, parsley and lemon while the Scrumpea is made with peas, asparagus, broad beans and fennel, cooked with West Country cheddar, parsley and chives. Both pies feature Orchard Pig Cider from Somerset.

The new pies will raise funds to plant a forest in Malawi for Temwa – an organisation to aid self-sufficiency in Malawi.