Entries open for 2023 World Amateur Pork Pie Championships in Rutland

Entries have opened for the second World Amateur Pork Pie Championships, set to take place in Rutland in July 2023.

Following a successful inaugural event, the date for the annual competition has been announced, and entries are open.

The event will be hosted on 29 July by The Rutland Pork Pie Appreciation Society at The Grainstore Brewery as part of the local taproom's celebration of beer and music, Alehouse Rocks.

Formed out of a mutual love of all things Pork Pie, The Rutland Pork Pie Appreciation Society meets regularly at The Grainstore Brewery, bringing together hand raised pies made by those attending each meet. Others just turn up to enjoy the pie, banter and beer.

Being a fully fledged butcher and master pork pie maker, Vernon Stokes set up the group in 2019 and uses their regular meetings, as well as the Rutland Pork Pie Appreciation society Facebook page, to share tips and advice about making the perfect pork pie.

The pork pies are hand raised and filled. Image credit: Nub News.

The group enjoy monthly meetings and social get togethers at The Grainstore Brewery on Oakham's Station Approach on a Sunday afternoon, where attendees can make a pork pie at home and bring it along to enjoy alongside like minded people - with a couple of award winning beers from the brewery team thrown in for good measure.

In 2022 they launched their World Amateur Pork Pie Championships at the popular brewery, and it certainly filled a niche, attracting pork pie makers from across the area and raising funds for the East Midlands Immediate Care Scheme (EMICS).

The competition will once again be supporting EMICS, with all entrance fees and funds raised going to to the team of volunteer emergency doctors.

EMICS is a network of volunteer doctors with specialist training in pre-hospital emergency medicine who assist East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) at the scene of life threatening emergencies. EMICS doctors provide advanced specialist skills at the point of accident or injury, where they are needed most.

The importance of the work they do in rural communities such as Rutland is particularly profound, which is why the team have decided to support them once again.

Last year's entries. Image credit: Vernon Stokes / The Grainstore Brewery.

There are Two classes in this years competition:

Class One – Traditional Pork Pie. Pies must be hand raised. Only fresh pork meat (not cured) and seasoning may be used in the filling. All pies must be wholly enclosed in a Hot Water Crust Pastry.

Class Two – Custom Pie. Pies can be hand raised, formed in a hoop or tin. Any meat (cured or uncured) and seasoning may be added to the filling but it must contain at least 50% pork. All fillings must be set in a Hot Water Crust Pastry, but can be topped and sealed with something other than pastry. Examples of what are acceptable as a topping include but are not limited to: Cheese, Fruit, lattice pastry. Examples of what may be deemed unacceptable as a topping include but are not limited to: No Topping (that's a flan!), any additional lid rather than sealed topping.

Timetable:

Deadline for Entries – Sunday 23 July, 11.59pm

Delivery of Pies – Saturday 29 July, 8am to 10am

Judging Begins – Saturday 29 July, 11am

Judging Closes – Saturday 29 July, 2pm

Winners Announcements – Saturday 29 July, 4.45pm

Each Class winner will receive a tankard, with the overall winner taking home the title of 'World Amateur Pork Pie Champion' and a trophy sponsored by Moores Estate Agents.

The competition will take place at The Grainstore Brewery and Tap, so you can enjoy great food and top-notch beer, whether you chose to participate or simply pop down to support the fun.