Independent bakers in Shropshire have launched a mince pie war with county supermarkets by going into battle for Christmas trade.

Mince pies from www.bredbyfred.com

Bakers across the county have come up with a mixture of classic and innovative recipes in a bid to win orders from locals.

Tens of thousands of pies are being baked in the run-in to Christmas, with many bakers starting work in the early hours to cope with demand.

And they are mixing traditional centuries-old recipes with cutting-edge cooking techniques to win over festive punters.

Caterer Laura Bolt, from www.bredbyfred.com, at Clee Hill, said: “You can’t beat the pies made by local bakers at this time of year. Eating a supermarket-bought pie doesn’t compare.”

Miss Bolt, whose pies contain a bewildering array of gourmet ingredients including roasted quince, beef suet, home made candied peel and other goodies, added:”For many caterers, it’s the busiest time of year. We’re working round the clock to meet demand.”

Everybody's favourite at Christmas

Ed Van Doesburg, who runs Van Doesburg’s deli, in Church Stretton, with his wife, Jane, said: “The secret is in the mix. You need to get the balance right between the pastry and the filling – you don’t want something like a supermarket pie that’s got thick, stodgy pastry and nothing inside.”

Mrs Doesburg added that the pies were also available at Shrewsbury Bread and said:”You should also have a bit of imagination. Ed puts a frangipane topping on my pies and out customers love it. We’ve baked thousands and thousands already.”

Peter Cook, from the award-winning Price’s, in Ludlow, added: “We favour a classic pie, dusted with icing sugar. They’re very popular with our customers.”

Ludlow Food Centre has made the festive season’s most unusual pie. It’s Clive Pie is made to a recipe dating back to the 1760s and contains lamb, currants and spices. The recipe was collected by the a forebear of food centre owner Lord Windsor, Clive of India.

Sandy Boyd, boss of the food centre, said: “The mincemeat contains lamb, dried fruit and spices. They are very popular.”

* Do you know anyone who makes a better mince pie? Send us your comments.