‘Pie’d’ and Tested ‘Recipies’

Bakers and fans of British culinary classics said ‘bon a-pie-tite’ to British pie week 2017 as Rose Lodge care home, Newton Aycliffe, celebrated with their own pie cook off competition. Their cook off competition saw staff members, residents and their family members at the home, which provides residential and specialist dementia care, submitting their best homemade pies and recipes which were then anonymously taste tested and judged. Residents, staff and guests at Rose Lodge tucked into the homemade pies before scoring them for their presentation and taste. The winning ‘Star Baker’ was Michelle Young, Administrator at Rose Lodge, with a delicious ham, spring onion, cheese and egg pie and was presented with an engraved chopping board trophy. Second place went to Rose Lodge Maintenance Person Chris Watson with his ‘breakfast pie’ and third place went jointly to Jean McCreedy and Viv Rudge with a corned beef and sweet potato and a cheese, potato and leek with parmesan glaze pie respectively.

The runners up all received a bottle of wine from the home. The event was just one in a series of pie cook off competitions happening in Maria Mallaband and Countrywide Care Homes across the whole of the North East and North Yorkshire regions. Winners and other notable entries from each home will have their winning recipe published in a recipe book, delivered to the Care Group’s homes across the region. British Pie Week is held in the first week of March each year, this year from the 6th to the 12th March, and is a week long opportunity for Brits to celebrate the nation’s comfort food favourite. Up and down the Country, people will be baking their favourite recipes at home or venturing out to local pubs, restaurants, and pie shops. Nicola Wheatley, Manager of Rose Lodge care home, said: “We place a lot of importance on providing our residents with the food they love. Many grew up enjoying home-cooked pie dishes so we thought that a great way to celebrate British pie week was to try a selection of traditional and newer recipes.  Our cook off competition a great opportunity for our staff and our residents and their families to get together and bond over sharing food, swapping family recipes and enjoying a good time together.”