The Pies Have It for Manorlands
2009-12-15

The humble pork pie has netted a £913 windfall for Manorlands, the Sue Ryder Care hospice at Oxenhope, thanks to the generosity of the region’s meat men – both butchers and farmers.

Pies for charity – pictured at the cheque presentation ceremony at Stables Butchers in Keighley are, from left, Sue Ryder Care fundraiser Andrew Wood, John Ellisons, of Ellisons Butchers, Cullingworth, with two-year-old son Noah, and Craig Bradley, Lunds Butchers, Keighley – both were highly commended for their entries in the Great Northern Pork Pie Fest – butcher judge Paul Leadbeater, of Cross Roads, Stables’ owner Mike Ward, president of the National Federation of Meat and Food Traders, and Craven Cattle Marts general manager Jeremy Eaton.

The cash was raised at a charity auction following the inaugural Great Northern Pork Pie Fest, a brand-new pie-making competition run by Craven Cattle Marts (CCM) at Skipton Auction Mart at the end of November.

Butcher entrants from across Yorkshire and Lancashire brought along and donated extra helpings of both traditional and stand pies for the auction.

Pies auctioned on behalf of supreme champion pie makers, Huddersfield butchers Hinchliffe’s, which has farm shops in both Netherton and Golcar, were snapped up at a heady £75 by North Craven farmer James Garth, of Keasden.

A giant charity pie made and donated specially for the competition by Peter Middlemiss, of George Middlemiss & Son Butchers, of Otley, sold for £100 to Yorkshire Dales farmer and CCM chairman Michael McKenzie, of Arncliffe.

CCM general manager Jeremy Eaton, who auctioned the pies, said: “It was a superb result and our thanks go to all Northern Pork Pie Fest butcher entrants – every single one of them brought along heaps of extra pork pies for the charity auction - and to all purchasers from the regional agricultural community who supported the worthy cause so generously.

“Special thanks must go to Keighley butcher Mike Ward, president of the National Federation of Meat and Food Traders, who headed the judging panel and had ultimate responsibility for choosing our first-ever pork pie champion.

“The Great Northern Pork Pie Fest, staged in tandem with our Christmas prime stock shows and sales, the region’s premier event for butchers buying beef and lamb for festive tables, proved a resounding success. We’ll definitely be repeating it next year.”

Sue Ryder Care fundraiser Andrew Wood said: “We were delighted when CCM approached us with this idea and though we are always supported superbly by our butchers and farmers we were staggered by the event’s success in its inaugural year. The funds will help us to continue to provide our services to people in communities throughout Airedale and the Dales.”

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