TRADITIONAL VALUES PAYING OFF FOR COUNTRY PIES

Four years after Martyn Cox and Taylor Scrutton took over Country Pies, the Suffolk business is being relaunched with a new brand identity and expanding product range.

The identity focuses on its approach of hand crafting pies to traditional recipes and only making to order, baking fresh on the morning of delivery.

Based at Capel St Mary in Suffolk on the edge of Constable country, Country Pies supplies restaurants, hotels and catering establishments across East Anglia and London including some of the capital's top chefs.

Martyn Cox, formerly a director for many years with catering butcher Direct Meats of Chappel, says that their policy is paying off in steadily growing sales and new customers. He and Taylor Scrutton have between them wide experience in the food industry at the highest level.

“When the new terminal facilities opened at Southend Airport, they asked us to provide a range of traditional pies including chicken and Suffolk ham, steak and our Capel mushrooms, broccoli, blue cheese and spring onion and also a range of bespoke ready food,” says Mr Scrutton.

“Our customers appreciate the type of service we offer. We stick to sound, honest values and Country Pies ethos is to make our pies taste just like a “Homemade” pie should taste. We also like to promote seasonal dishes and have just launched our autumn range that includes wild game pie and a new lamb, roast parsnip and thyme pie.

“Only baking to order means our pies are always supplied as fresh as they can be. We prep the previous day and then bake fresh early on the morning of delivery, ensuring our pies arrive with the customer in prime condition and with a full five-day shelf life.”

The company's new logo — seen on their delivery vehicles and relaunched website (www.countrypies.co.uk) — emphasises their rural surroundings. The bakery is based in a converted granary at Churchford Farm, Capel St Mary, which the directors are planning to extend to cater for increasing business.