A Shropshire butcher is laying claim to Wigan’s proud boast that it is the pie capital of the world, with people from the north west town travelling more than 100 miles to taste his creations.Ryan & Sons’ delicacies are becoming so popular in Wigan that pie-lovers are forsaking their home town’s pastry dishes to travel to Much Wenlock to buy their favourite food.
Graham Collard, an IT expert who runs his own computer shop, makes regular trips to Shropshire to buy pies for his friends.
The pies have become such a hit up north that his orders have grown from a handful to several hundred.
Graham, aged 56, first experienced Ryan & Sons’ pies on a family holiday to the area 20 years ago.
Among the tantalising gourmet pastries on offer at the Shropshire shop are steak and mushroom, steak in red wine and venison in red wine.
Despite incurring the wrath of fellow northerners who still maintain Wigan’s pies are the best in the world, Graham claimed nothing on earth can compare to what Much Wenlock has to offer.
“You have never had a pie until you have tried one of these,” he said.”
David Taylor, a friend and fellow convert, agreed with Graham and said: “Without a shadow of a doubt once you have had one of these pies you will never want to eat a Wigan pie again. They are full of meat, not bits of meat but big chunks of meat.
“These pies are by far the best I have ever tasted and I have lived in Wigan all my life. They are phenomenal.”
The butcher’s has been in the town since 1963 and has been making the famous pies for the last 25 years.
Owner Paddy Ryan said he was thrilled people travelled from miles away to sample his wares, but could not understand what all the fuss was about.
“We used to see Graham every so often, but in the last few months he’s been coming fairly regularly for big orders of pies,” he said.
“It’s a real compliment he comes all this way to collect the pies and I’m very grateful, but I’m surprised our pies should be considered so popular in Wigan.
“We make them the way we’ve always made them using pastry prepared in the shop and with the best Shropshire beef.”
By Jonathan Wood
6 Comments
As someone who has tasted his wares before, I can say beeeeeeeutiful!!!
Rikki Lloyd Butchers in Welshpool. Only a matter of time before Rick Stein finds out.
You should try the home-made faggots too! Best purveyor of meat, pies and poultry in Shropshire and beyond.
I think it is “Pie Wars”
Being a Donnington lad originally I remember the Galliers pork pies from the Parade & they are yet to be surpassed.
They still sold a version of them with the new owners [Brindleys] until they unfortunately went under.
Can anyone shine any light on who made them?.
I have heard the name Doug Traylor associated with them.
I need to find a new supplier because those supermarket ones just don’t come anywhere near.
As an expatriate Shropshire lad who in his youth serviced butchers all over Shropshire and North Wales, my greatest sorrow is the hopeless lack of real pies in Brisbane, Australia, especially pork pies. Are there any young pie butchers willing to come and set up, with your secret recipes, a pie shop in Brisbane? I would not expect you to stay once you had set up the beginnings of your ‘empire’. There are two “Brit-Pubs” here for starters. Wiggy