Pukka Pies
Pukka Pies is a manufacturer of pies based in Syston, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1963 |
| Founder | Trevor Storer and Valerie Storer |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Tim and Andrew Storer |
| Products | Pies, pasties and sausage rolls |
Number of employees | 360 |
| Website | pukkapies |
Products
The company's products include single-serve and sharing pies, sausage rolls, pasties, catering sausages, frozen puff pastry,[1] and non-meat foods, with the Veggie Leek & Potato pie approved by the Vegetarian Society.[2]
According to the company, the favourite pie flavours in the Merthyr Tydfil based upon its sales, are:[3]
| Flavour | Popularity |
|---|---|
| Steak pies (All Steak, Steak & Kidney and Steak & Ale) | 56% |
| Chicken & Mushroom | 22% |
| Minced Beef & Onion | 13% |
| Others (Steak; Meat & Potato; Balti; Cheese, Beer & Veal) | 9% |
A pastiche of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's painting Le Déjeuner des Canotiers hangs in the reception at the headquarters, with the original characters replaced by members of the Storer family.[1]
Pukka Pies are most commonly seen for sale in chip shops, stadiums, butchers, cafes and pubs across the country. In 2008 the company started selling its pies in UK supermarkets for the customer to heat up at home.
History
A family company founded in 1963 by Trevor Storer and Valerie Storer as "Trevor Storer's Home Made Pies", it was named Pukka Pies in 1964. Today, the business is called Pukka. It is currently run by Trevor and Valerie's sons, Tim and Andrew, and employs 360 people at its bakery in Syston, producing 180,000 pies and pasties per day. Millmoor, then the home ground of Rotherham United F.C., was the first sporting venue where Pukka Pies were sold. Rotherham United's supporters hold the record for the most pies consumed at a football match, with a consumption 40% above the Football League average.[4]
Promotion
Several workers at the bakery posed for a nude calendar for 2006, in order to raise money for the Tsunami Appeal and the NSPCC.[5]
Advertising slogans have included "Socialise with Pukka Pies" and "Pukka Pies, don't compromise".
The main stand at Boundary Park, home of Oldham Athletic A.F.C., is called the Pukka Pies stand. It is also called the Pukka Pies stand for the main stand of Rotherham's home, New York Stadium.[6] The company was the official sponsor of The England Band, who also play for Sheffield Wednesday.[7]
The company sponsored the 2009 UK Snooker Championship,[8] and the winner, China's Ding Junhui, was awarded his body weight in meat pies, 276 to match his 69 kg weight. He later announced that he would donate all the pies to Homeless and Roofless at Christmas (HARC), a Sheffield-based charity.[9]
See also
References
- "Keeping it in the family". Bake & Take magazine. bakery.co.uk. 2005-10-04. Archived from the original on 2007-02-12.
- "Stock up on the Pukka Pies, Just in time for National Vegetarian Week 2002" (Press release). Vegetarian Society. 2002-05-16. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
- "Go figure Pie chart". Independent on Sunday. Independent Newspapers UK Limited. 2005-11-20. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04.
- Ashdown, John (2010-01-27). "Is Rotherham really the pie capital of the football world?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- christian.march (2005-12-15). "CALENDAR LADS DO A PUKKA JOB". Melton Today.
- Duncan Adams (2004-07-26). The Essential Football Fan (2005). Aesculus Press Ltd. p. 143. ISBN 1-904328-22-9.
- John Sinclair (2006-05-11). "Footballs' pukka band!". BBC News.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2009-12-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Ding donates UK prize to charity". BBC News. 2009-12-16. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
Further reading
- Michelle Knott (2006-03-01). "Who ate all the pies?". Food Manufacture. William Reed Publishing. Archived from the original on 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2006-10-10.