TWO brothers were due to go head-to-head today in a battle to be named the best of British pie makers.
Ian and Paul Hartland, of Cotgrave, are each hoping for a slice of glory in the fifth annual British Pie Awards in Melton Mowbray.
A record number of pies – 983 – from butchers and bakers from around the country have been entered into the awards, making it the most successful year to date.
But the sibling rivalry will make for a mouthwatering contest for Notts pie lovers.
Having worked together at Mrs Kings Pork Pies, Ian and Paul have gone their own ways.
Ian set up Hartland's Pies last year – just a stone's throw across the Manvers Business Park – while Paul continues to bake at Mrs Kings Pies, established in 1853.
Ian said: "The family – including wife Nicola and sons Luke and Adam – have been making pies together for quite some time and are confident.
"Our pie philosophy is the fresher the pie, the better the pastry."
There are 20 different categories in the British Pie Awards but there's no disputing which is most important to the Hartland brothers – the Melton Mowbray.
Ian is entering five categories:
The classic Melton Mowbray.
A pulled pork pie with a variety of exotic spices.
A braised beef and ale pie including a local brewery's special Magpie 500 brew.
A free range chicken, leek and dry cured bacon pie.
A Bramley apple pie.
"We are always confident in a competition," he added.
"But judges have personal taste. Sometimes that can be an advantage, sometimes a disadvantage. They don't always know that much about pies, especially the celebrities."
Ian entered the 2012 event, which he feels helped raise the profile of Hartland's Pies soon after it was launched.
Mrs King's were Melton Mowbray winners in 2011, but with a refurbishment last year they were unable to defend their title.
This year they will just enter the Melton Mowbray category.
"We are not worried about the competition," Paul said.
"We know how we do things and we are probably the best in our minds – and that's how we drive the business forward."
There are thousands of entries to the British Pie Awards from across the country but Melton Mowbray pork pies can only be baked in a set geographical area – in a similar fashion to Cornish Pasties – which limits entrants.
Paul added: "Both Ian and I are members of the Melton Mowbray society, so we can't let competition get in the way of our solidarity, and there will be a lot of good competition there. Melton Mowbrays are more than just a pork pie."
But Ian said: "There will definitely be a bit of a rivalry. I want to beat him and he will also want to beat me, which is good because competition keeps the standard high."
The other Notts entrants are Robert Bowring, of Robert Bowring Farmer & Butchers, Warsop; Damien Toms, of Limetree Pantry Foods Ltd, Ollerton; and Andy Napthine, of Pork Farms, Queens Drive Industrial Estate.
The competition starts at 10am today, with the winners announced at an awards lunch tomorrow at 1pm.
Matthew O'Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, organisers of the event, said: "At almost 1,000 pies, we've broken the 'pie barrier' and confirmed Melton Mowbray as the world capital of pies."
