COUNTRY PIES EXPANDING TO WHET APPETITES ACROSS COUNTRY

Growing demand from across the country is leading Country Pies to double the capacity of their bakehouse at Capel St Mary, close to Constable country on the Suffolk - Essex border.

Their range of hand-baked pies delivered within 24 hours of leaving the oven is attracting orders from an increasing range of customers – from leading London restaurants to food outlets at Southend Airport, football stadiums and caterers supplying the wind farm industry in Lancashire.

Country Pies have taken over an adjoining building at their farmstead premises which will enable them to extend their preparation and baking activities, as well as provide additional storage, a new office and staff facilities. There are also plans for an hospitality area where they will be able to host tasting demonstrations.

“With the growth of the business, space has become a problem for us and we’re delighted that we’re able to expand on the same site,” said Martyn Cox, partner of Country Pies.

“Our policy of hand crafting pies to traditional standards, sourcing local and seasonal ingredients and only baking to order is winning new customers each week,” he said. “We’re also now working with a courier service that enables us to supply customers across the country with pies baked fresh within hours of dispatch.”

The business has just launched a new winter range with the wild game pie, lamb ‘hot pot’ pie and beef bourguignon pie providing particularly popular.

- Country Pies have been baking pies at Capel St Mary since 1993. Four years ago the company came under the control of partners Taylor Scrutton and Martyn Cox – food lovers who between them have more than 50 years’ experience in the business, latterly with Direct Meats supplying some of the UK’s leading restaurants and catering establishments.

Typically they ‘prep’ the previous day and then bake fresh early on the morning of delivery, ensuring pies are always supplied in prime condition with a five-day shelf life. This recipe is winning business at many of the country’s fine food establishments and gastro-pubs, supplying a number of London’s leading chefs and becoming bespoke pie master for upmarket retail butchers and food halls.