‘We started baking our pies in a converted hay barn’
Sarah Pettegree, 57, from north Norfolk, realised that when buying pork pies, one thing was missing.
‘The oven doors clang and steam billows out as I remove a baking tray laden with 30 golden pork pies. The buttery smell of pastry wafts through the room. It’s a scent that few can resist.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking. It was a love I never lost, but it wasn’t until later in life that I revisited my passion. After a career in the civil service, I’d ended up working as a management accountant in Norwich, and the urban lifestyle left me craving a return to my country roots.
So in 2007, my partner Derek, our cat and I and moved into a little 18th-century cottage outside the Georgian market town of Holt. I’d been wanting to start my own business for a long time, and as a long-time lover of pork pies I spotted an opportunity, noticing there was a gap in the market between cheap pork pies and traditional ones. My idea was to create delicious but affordable pork pies, and decided to take a leap of faith.
The kitchen in our cottage was very small, and so my first step was to use my savings to rent some space in a converted hay barn in the grounds of a nearby country house. When it came to equipment and utensils, everything that could be was second-hand or free, and any purchase was judged by what it could save us.
PERFECTING THE RECIPE
Drawing on my accountancy skills, I set about getting my business off the ground. I sat down with a spreadsheet, put in various scenarios and worked out what we needed to do to stay afloat.
I spent hours in the kitchen finding the perfect balance of filling and pastry. My pies featuring black pudding quickly became a bestseller, and the addition of fig and orange was also hugely popular.
I began selling my pies at local markets, where I listened carefully to any feedback. Soon, word spread and nearby pubs and delis began approaching me, asking if I could supply them. Any early profits were reinvested, and social media was my main form of promotion.
We have six flavours of pork pies, plus a seasonal one, in three sizes. We also do pie selection packs, bake at home pies, wedding pies with multiple tiers and personalised celebration pies.
Fast-forward 11 years and my products are available at hundreds of independent shops. We’ve replaced some equipment, but we’re still based in the same premises and use our original bargain stainless steel tables and a huge double sink, which had a previous life in a burger van. We also have a thriving online shop.
Bray’s Cottage Pork Pies are ideal for a summer picnic, the small ones eaten in a grassy meadow, or a larger celebration pie shared on a tartan blanket. Our current summer special (The Wiveton) has a mix of fresh lemon, parsley and garlic and goes perfectly with a chilled glass of white wine.
To this day, there’s nothing better than people telling me, ‘That’s the nicest pork pie I’ve ever tasted.’ After all, when I was an accountant, no one ever said, ‘That’s the best spreadsheet I’ve ever seen!’ Praise makes the hard work worthwhile.’ • perfectpie.co.uk