Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King got a sneak preview of Holland’s relaunched pie range when he dropped in for a factory tour.

The supermarket boss toured the Baxenden factory and thanked the company for its involvement with the grocer’s benevolent fund charity, Caravan.

Holland’s revised its range after a year of public taste testing; the firm’s ‘pie panel’ of 12 customers were quizzed on what would improve future products and asked for deeper fillings, more authentic flavours and more chunks of meat.

It will also become the first branded pie manufacturer to put Guideline Daily Allowance (GDA) information on the front-of-pack.

“We’ve revisited all the things people have traditionally loved about our pies and looked to retain and, where necessary, rediscover that love,” said MD Neil Court-Johnson. “That has meant taking a step ‘back to the future’ by revisiting our original 158-year-old recipes.”

The relaunch comes months after Holland’s, part of Northern Foods, announced a 10% increase in sales.

Said Court-Johnson: “We’re extremely excited about our new recipes and we are thrilled that Justin has been able to get a sneak preview of our new range before it goes into Sainsbury’s stores.”

King added: “Holland’s products sell well across our stores in the region and I was particularly interested to see the unique production processes that give Holland’s pies and puddings their distinctive taste.”