Renfrewshire butchers scoops huge award for popular pie

It comes after Elderslie Butchers won the coveted Diamond status for their Chicken Tijja Chasni Pie as the best Speciality Pie in Scotland at the competition.

The manager of the store, Mark Smyth said the popular pie was made into a family-size offering for the competition but has accepted its success would mean a new product line for the butchers.

Mark said: “We’ve been making handheld Chicken Tikka Chasni pies for about four years after a customer suggested it as a new filling.

“We teamed up with a local Indian restaurant to source authentic sauce and then worked at perfecting the final product.”

The local butcher explained that high-quality chicken is marinated in the "secret sauce" for 24 hours before being made into pies.

He added: "This ensures a more intense flavour and adds succulence to the filling.

"The filling lent itself to a larger pie and we're over the moon that judges from across Scotland considered it a winner.

"It's a real honour for us all. I'll be sure to thank the customer who suggested we make it in the first place - and our Indian curry sauce suppliers."

Each week the team in the store produces around 1,500 pies.

While they were "aware of the popularity" of their curry pie, they were "shocked and thrilled" to find out it was considered the best in the country.

The local butchers also scooped a Gold Award for their Lamb, Stornoway Black Pudding, and Mint Gravy Pie.

Gordon King, Executive Manager with Scottish Craft Butchers said: "We were blown away by the innovation and creativity shown by our butchers, delivering some truly remarkable Speciality Pies.

“Butchers use this awards evaluation process as a testing ground for new ideas and there will be customers enjoying new products all across Scotland as a result of their successes.

“Judges were unanimous, however, that the flavour, filling, pastry and texture of Elderlie’s curry pie was in a class of its own and a worthy winner of the national title.”