A village pub in Warwickshire has proved once again when it comes to pies it knows the recipe for success after scooping a string of awards last week.
Three of five of the Fleur de Lys shortlisted recipes have been selected from hundreds of entries in the prestigious British Pie Awards.
The pub’s Special Spicy Pork and Basil Pie took Silver while Bronze was awarded for both their Steak and Ale and Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Pies. They were among the ‘hot favourites’ singled out by a panel made up of over 160 leading experts from the retail, baking and butchery sectors as part of British Pie Week.
Co-owner Emma Woodhouse said:
“We’re so delighted that our historic pies have been recognised once again at the British Pie Awards. A lot of love and hard work goes into producing these pies and it’s really rewarding to have a silver as well as two bronze awards this year."
“It always feels like a long shot when there are 900 entries and with little old us going up against giants of the food industry, but it’s a wonderful celebration of British cuisine and we feel really proud to have received these accolades."
“For us, our priority is always ensuring that our customers at the Fleur De Lys receive a perfect pie but of course it’s so exciting when we get a certificate from the Pie Awards to affirm that we are continuing to honour the pie legacy that started here in the 1950’s.” Emma added:
“To coincide with British Pie Week last week, we’ve also launched our Pie Club Loyalty Card for the first time. You can pick one up at the bar on your next visit, so you can start collecting stamps to get your 10th pie for free!”
It wasn’t until the early 20th century when The Fleur de Lys first opened as a tavern, later going on to introduce the ‘pioneering’ idea of serving food and giving rise to the now famous Fleur De Lys pies.
The pub first began serving pies through the infamous kitchen hatch during the 1950s, drawing crowds from all over the Midlands to sample Mr Brookes’ finest steak and kidney or chicken and mushroom pies.
The inn was mainly frequented by farmers who'd come in for a pie and a pint after they'd finished harvesting.
The licensee at the time bought Emscote Mill in Warwick, from where they distributed nationwide but eventually the original pie recipe and company was sold to Pukka Pies. But, under the auspices of current landlords Emma and Nick Woodhouse, in 2018 The Lowsonford Pie Company was born and all 11 flavours of pie are now handmade and served directly from the Fleur De Lys kitchen.
It is not the first accolade for the Fleur de Lys, whose pie making team have a real appetite for awards success.
