Get behind British Pie Week 2010

Customers travel from as far away as 70 miles to sample the menu at the Old Farmhouse in Ulverston, Cumbria. Food sales are up 22 per cent on last year, and the pub has become a regular feature in the local press. And the reason for all this success in these challenging times? Pies.

Not just any pies - but award-winning pies, with the pub named last March as the winners of the People's Choice Award after last year's National Pie Week for its amazing Cumberland Pie.

The delicious pie, a combination of Cumberland Sausage, chicken, gammon topped with a creamy cheese sauce, polled more votes that any other in the UK in the competition during last years event.

Licensee Neal Southworth, who runs the business with Mandy Boyle, says the pies are one element of a combination of service, community thinking and old-fashioned hospitality that have helped put the pub on the map.

"The pub has come a long way since we first took it over in December 2004", reveals Neal a veteran of the pub industry for more than 18 years.

"The Old Farmhouse was converted to a pub 20 years ago and in that time nobody had been able to make it a success. Before we took it over it had been closed for a couple of years and had an awful reputation within the local community, but we worked hard to turn it around by being consistent with the quality of our food.

"We have also focused on the Old Farmhouse becoming a community pub; for instance every year we choose a charity, this year it has been the local oncology unit, we do fundraisers throughout the year and donate £1 for every pie sold at the pub."

And the hard work has paid off, as during the last five years the Old Farmhouse has been transformed to become the heart of the community averaging 600 covers a week.

"We are 52 per cent food-led; focusing on doing traditional homemade food really well. As a motto we keep our dishes simple with beer-battered cod, gammon & chips, and a pie of the day. The Cumberland pie is our best seller and generally pies sell very well for us as they are a big part of Lancashire's food culture."

The traditional steak & mushroom, game, and lamb pies also feature high on the menu but it is the Cumberland pie, containing chicken and gammon in a creamy sauce with Cumberland sausages, which customers have really taken to their hearts.

"Mandy is from Scotland, and it is a Scottish traditional to use sausages to bulk out their pies - our customers love it!" says Neal.

Despite the Old Farmhouse selling an average of 55 pies a week, Mandy and Neal still make their pies from scratch.

"Mandy makes all our pie by hand; there is nothing you can buy on the market that would even resemble a homemade pie. The pies are made in advance and we use Jus-Rol pastry, it's a low cost ingredient that saves us time as well as giving us consistency - nothing ruins a pie like bad pastry! Making it ourselves gives us control over the quality and flavour of the pies as well as a GP of 65 per cent; we make a large pie that serve four or five people, it adds to the authenticity of the pie being homemade and we sell a generous slice with all of the trimmings for £8.95."

With Jus-Rol Professional in its third season of pie celebrations, Neal & Mandy are already planning this year's British Pie Week and promoting it to their customers, so would Neal recommend entering this year's competition?

"If pies are important to your menu then it is worth sending in your recipe, by winning the award our food sales grew by 22 per cent, our customer base increased thanks to the press coverage we received and our reputation for quality, home cooked food has never been greater!"

Could you be the face of British Pie Week?​

Is your pub pie the best in the business? Then put pies in your eyes, give yourself the chance to become the face of British Pie Week - and enter our competition today!

As part of Jus-Rol Professional's winter-long pie celebrations - which come to a climax with British Pie Week from March1 to 7 2010 - the pastry expert is on the hunt for Britain's best pub pie.

As the official trade media partner of the event, The Publican is urging all our pie-making pub readers to enter the competition. Visit www.britishpieweek.co.uk to tell Jus-Rol Professional about your recipe - and you could win:

• £500 cash prize

• the prestigious title Face of British Pie Week 2010 and a trophy

• a day with Jus-Rol Professional's pie expert to develop a bespoke pie menu for your pub ready for British Pie Week

• a personalised chef's jacket

• a selection of bespoke point-of-sale material, including a winner's banner for the outside of your pub

• publicity for you and your pub in the trade and consumer press.

Deadline for entries is January 17 2010

In the build up to British Pie Week in March, Jus-Rol Professional will be providing pubs with a host of pie-tastic information, recipes and FREE POS kits all available at www.britishpieweek.co.uk

A heavyweight press and PR campaign will ensure that your regulars will know all about it - and they'll be asked to vote for their favourite pub pie.

If your regulars give your pies the thumbs up, then get them to vote with a click at www.britishpieweek.co.uk and you could win a national award.

For more information about British Pie Week call 0800 626 893 or visit ​www.britishpieweek.co.uk​