POINT-SCORING punters flocked to Teesside to cast their votes on the perfect pork pie.
The Teesside Pork Pie Championships, launched by Stockton bar Hope and Union, returned at the weekend to showcase the region’s finest producers of one of the nation’s favourite pies.
The annual competition was back and bigger then ever this year, with the organisers doubling the number of butchers involved.
I promptly made my way along to the town centre bar and dived inside, quickly shutting the door and the ongoing wrath of Storm Arwen behind me.
The smell of the pies hit me straight away, and it was not long before I was supplied with a platter of five different pork pies and a list of instructions.
Pies were to be judged based on the best: pastry, filling, presentation, ratio of pastry and filling, overall favourite, and second favourite.
All pies were judged blind, with no idea which butcher was responsible, aiding the fair and impartial nature of the competition.
Taking notes was vital for any serious competitor and fellow judging members of the public could be seen writing notes and creating a live tally of their preferred pies.
Eating and judging five different pork pies sounds like the dream job, and they were delicious, but it was important to take this seriously.
Biting into the second pie and the differentiation’s were immediately clear. Some pastries were crumblier than others, some pies looked petter than they tasted and some had too much jelly.
The taste was different in most all of them, too. Pie number three, as it was known to judges, contained a nice peppery kick while others had no substance at all. Yes, it is possible for a pork pie to taste too ‘porky’.
I, like many others, was keeping a live tally before casting my final results on the bar’s online form.
The participating butchers and results remain under wraps for now, but it clear to see there are quality pork pie producers in Teesside, whoever they are.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here