STAFF at Matfen Village Store and Coffee Shop are celebrating after their pies were recognised with two national awards.

The success came at the national British Pie Awards, hosted in Melton Mowbray by the town’s Pork Pie Association. The awards, which have been held annually since 2009, celebrate British pies of all varieties.

The shop’s lamb and feta cheese pie won silver in the ‘hot savoury pie class’ and the coq au vin pie took home the bronze certificate in the ‘chicken with other meat’ class.

Owner Ian Raper, who runs the store with his wife Tracey, was delighted with the victory.

He said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to win.

“It’s actually the first time we’ve entered. We took over the shop about two years ago, but we only started making pies in the last year.

“I made the coq au vin pie and our chef, Hazel Bradley, made the lamb and feta pie.”

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