Pies the limit as bakery reopens

HUNGRY pie lovers stormed a popular bakery on reopening day – leading to a complete sell-out of its most iconic meaty treat.

Murrays Bakers of Perth has been back in operation in recent days, leading to scores of customers queuing throughout the day to get their hands on their favourite items, including the famous Scotch pie.

A total of 2,000 pies were sold during the opening day bonanza, with an afternoon tea offering also having a huge uptake from customers who had missed their Murrays fix.

Owner Linda Hill said: “On the day we opened, there were 10 people queuing outside in anticipation and this continued until 2.15pm when we briefly ran out of pies.

“We sold more than 2,000 pies that day – it really could not have been better.

“On day two I posted on social media that we were starting afternoon teas and it went crazy.

“The phone rang off the hook and there were more than 100 messages on Facebook.

“It took me all day and well into the evening to get through them all. There was a massive demand.

“The Friday and Saturday saw a queue down the street for about 40 metres continuously.

“We were overwhelmed with the response to us reopening and I felt so emotional by how much we were welcomed back.”

Social distancing rules, which have been enforced outside the shop for those queuing to get in, have so far been well observed by customers – and haven’t put anyone off visiting the bakery.

The popularity even led to extra staff having to be called in to help deal with the demand.

Ms Hill said: “It turned out I had not brought enough staff back off furlough, so we brought another bakery worker in on the Friday and two shop staff as well.

“After releasing the afternoon teas I even had to phone my daughter to plead with her to come in and help as it was bedlam.

“The bakers were run off their feet and my husband was doing 12-hour shifts. The first day back I was going from serving, filling the counter and taking telephone orders to being in the bakery lidding pies, packing up and carrying products to the shop.

“It has been a long time since I have had to work so hard for so long but I was running on adrenaline, it felt so good.

“I was just so happy to be open again and people said it felt like there was some sort of normality now Murrays had reopened.”

Linda Hill