Just in time for British Pie Week (7-13 March), pork pie manufacturer Pork Farms has revealed which UK region consumed the most pork pies over the last year, with surprising results.
With one of the most popular variations of pie named after the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, you might expect that the Midlands would eat the lion’s share of pies, honouring their namesake. Yet in the East Midlands, pork pies are traditionally eaten at Christmas time and the Pork Farms factories often see a spike in pork pie demand around this time of year.
Yorkshire is also frequently associated with pork pies and these popular snacks are often served hot with gravy or mushy pies on Bonfire Night. The village of Ripponden in Yorkshire even hosts an annual pork pie competition, forged by their pork pie appreciation society.
However, neither of these regions secured the top spot as the most pie-loving place on the UK map. The South came out on top, dominating more than a quarter of UK sales at 25.4 per cent, meaning that from London to Land’s End, southerners have been picking up their Pork Farms pork pies more frequently than their northern counterparts.
The North was a close runner up with 24.9 per cent sales and the Midlands made up just 20.4 per cent, despite its strong association with the tasty treats. Outside of England, the pies aren’t quite as popular, with sales in Scotland making up 6.8 per cent sales and Wales, just 5.5 per cent.
Jason Manley, head of marketing for Pork Farms, said: “We were certainly surprised at the results, with pork pies often associated with Midlands and the North, but we’re delighted to see that the love for these pastries is spreading far and wide.
“The competition is fierce across the UK however, with the North and South battling for the top spot. It’s great to see that demand for these iconic pies is soaring up and down the country.”
In total, more than 135 million pork pies were sold over the last year.
Brian McLister