The winner of the 2021 British Pie Awards has been announced and it's good news for meat and potato fans.

This years winner comes from Nottinghamshire based Bowring Butchers with their Meat and Potato Pie.

The awards were hosted in Melton Mowbray and received over 800 entries, all bakes to perfection and hoping to secure the position as number one pie in Britain.

Rivals to the winner included a Goats Cheese, Spinach and Sweet Potato Pie as well as a Cherrywood Smoked Pulled Pork and Black Pudding pie. However, this Northern classic won the judges hearts and taste buds.

The crisp yet rich pastry and creamy sauce tipped it for the judges, with Meat and Potato pie a stable on the table of any Northerner in winter.

Bowring Butchers also beat out 36 other contenders for best Beef and Cheese pie with their delicious Steak and Stilton creation.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: The winners of this years award (Bowring Butchers)The winners of this years award (Bowring Butchers)

After being put on hold due to the pandemic, the awards definitely returned with a bang, with Meat and Potato beating stiff competition across 23 categories in this fan-favourite contest, with other entries including other classics such as Beef & Ale or Steak & Kidney.

This year’s entries also included vegan and free from pies, catering to the ever-changing needs of consumers. From the Vegan category receiving the most entries, to unique winners like a Chicken Curry pie being crowned best Chippie pie, the awards were more varied than ever.

Runners up to this year’s Supreme Champion were a Rhubarb and Custard Dessert Pie made by Portsmouth’s Mad K Pies and an authentic Melton Mowbray Pork Pie made by bakers at Dickinson and Morris and sold in Melton Mowbray’s very own Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe.

Matthew O’Callaghan, Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association and host of the British Pie Awards, said: “Each and every year it is fantastic to see the range of delicious pies submitted to the British Pie Awards and this year was no different. Bowring Butchers submitted a truly scrumptious pie, and it was agreed across the board that their classic Meat and Potato masterpiece was the Supreme Champion of 2021. Congrats Bowring Butchers!”