Pieminister

The logo of Pieminister

Pieminister is a pie making company based in Bristol, South West England. Pieminister pies can be found in their restaurants, supermarkets and online, as well as various pubs and deli shops across the UK. As of 2022, Pieminister has restaurants and cafes in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield and Stoke on Trent.

History

Pieminister was founded in 2003 by co-founders Jon Simon and Tristan Hogg.^[1][2] The company uses 100% free range British meat and Marine Stewardship Council-certified fish.^[3] All its vegetarian pies are Vegetarian Society approved.^[4]

One year after opening the first Pieminister they were invited to sell pies at London's Borough Market, and attended their first Glastonbury Festival in 2004, attending for ten years until rejection in 2015.^[5] The company now has shops in: Covered Market, Oxford; Trentham Estate; Cardiff; St Nicholas Market; Gabriel's Wharf; Boxpark;^[6] Leather Lane; Northern Quarter (Manchester);^[7] Bold Street, Liverpool. The company opened a shop in Amsterdam in 2012.^[8]

For the year ending March 31, 2018, Bristol Live reports Pieminister has boosted sales in 2018 growing 14% to £14.3 million. "The business sold over five millions pies, and served 50 tonnes of mash and 4,500 litres of gravy in its restaurants over the 12-month period."^[9]

Charity

In 2013, the company launched its Cattle Drive campaign in partnership with African Development charity Send a Cow, which aims to raise £40,000 to help kick-start 30 family farms in Africa.^[10] Pieminister pledged to donate 10 pence to the campaign for every pie sold in supermarkets with a felt cow attached.^[11]

In 2022, Pieminister supported the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a suicide prevention campaign, with donations for each sale of the 'It's All Gravy' pie.^[12]

References

1. Ribbeck, Mike (30 October 2013). "Humble Bristol-based Pieminister became a ten year success". Bristol Post. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
2. Hogg, Tristan; Simon, Jon (2011). Pieminister: A Pie for All Seasons. Bantam. p. 8. ISBN 978-0593068052.
3. "'Flying Frying Pan' smoked haddock & cider pie". Marine Stewardship Council. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
4. "Pieminister Vegetarian Society Approved Pie Selection" (PDF). Costco. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
5. Smolen, Bronya. "Pieminister rejected from Glasto for first time in over a decade". Bakery Info. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
6. "Pieminister plans for ship-shape pop-up". The Grocer. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
7. "Pieminister opens in the Northern Quarter". Northern Quarter. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
8. Russell, Michelle (28 March 2012). "UK: Pieminister looks to export market for growth". just-food.
9. Baker, Hannah (21 December 2018). "Pieminister sells five MILLION pies and 50 tonnes of mash". bristolpost. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
10. "Eat a pie – and help Send a Cow". Bath Chronicle. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
11. Gyton, Georgi (5 November 2013). "Pieminister launches charity drive". British Baker. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
12. Shaw, Neil (19 May 2022). "You can support charity CALM by eating at Pieminister". HullLive. Retrieved 19 November 2022.

External links

• Official website