The 20^th annual Pork Pie Competition 14 April 2012

The 20th annual Pork Pie Competition 14 April 2012
Pictures:pauldishman.co.uk

This year the Pork Pie Appreciation Society celebrated the 20th annual competition. How time flies by, it feels like just a couple of years ago that we started the competition in 1992.
For the second time we have held the competition in April in the hope of warmer weather and the opportunity to enjoy the picturesque riverside setting of the Old Bridge Inn. The day turned out to be quite chilly but it was  dry and the sun shone brightly on the Friendly Brass Band playing in the car park. There was a strong breeze for a while and a large tent in the car park used for judging pies took off in the wind and landed in the river! It was rescued and secured more firmly and fortunately none of the pies were damaged.

This year the BBC’s One Show, an early evening news and chat show  was in attendance filming the proceedings. The One Show’s reporter Anita Rani also went to  last year’s champion Hinchliffe’s Farm Shop to see how pork pies are made and made her own version of a pork pie to enter in the competition. Anita added chillies and spices to the meat. It was a very credible entry but it could not match the efforts of Craig Midwood, master butcher at Hinchliffe’s who later found that he had won the competition for the second time in a row!
A total of 58 pie makers entered the competition and the standard was again outstanding. After the first two rounds of judging we held the charity auction with a number of items donated by local companies. The volume of the PA system was low at first and this resulted in a number of bargains being snapped up by those nearest the speakers! Star buy of the auction was a £500 washing machine donated by  JLA of Ripponden  going for just £120!

By 4 pm the pies had been selected for the final round. It has to be said that all pies that reach this stage are excellent and only a few marks separate the pies.

Brian Turner the Celebrity Chef was on the final judging panel. Brian is a fan of Pork Pies and has served pork pies made in Leeds in one of his restaurants for a number of years.

At 5.30 pm the results were in and the 10 finalists had been chosen. Incredibly the first prize and second prize went to the same two butchers as last year and in the same order again! Hinchliffe’s Farm Shop of Netherton, Huddersfield in first place and Bolster Moor Farm shop, Huddersfield in second place. It does seem that Huddersfield is the town to get yourself an award winning pork pie. E & R Grange of Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, Two Valleys of Meltham Huddersfield and M Thewlis of Golgar Huddersfield made it a total of 5 Huddersfield butchers in the 10 finalists.

Award to Kevin Booth President of the Pork Pie Appreciation Society
Kevin Booth, President of the Pork Pie Appreciation Society has been the organiser of this event for the last 20 years. Without his energy, commitment and shear hard work this annual celebration of the Pork Pie would not happen. This year the competition has raised over £3000. The funds raised this year will be donated Ripponden Parish Church.
Kevin is a keen hill walker and he has recently got interested in identifying the many different species of birds he encounters. He was therefore delighted to be presented with a pair of binoculars to take on his walks.

Pictures:pauldishman.co.uk