Pieminister continues to win hearts – one pie at a time

Pieminister was established in 2003 when the two friends started a modest pie shop and kitchen on Stokes Croft in Bristol. With innovative recipes, carefully sourced premium ingredients, outstanding branding, and a talent for manufacturing very good pastry, they quickly established a solid reputation for producing wonderful pies and contributed to the revolution of a struggling pie sector.

Jon Simon and Tristan Hogg made the decision to bring back the once-famous British pie when they returned home after being inspired by the pie shops they frequented while traveling in Australia.

Since then, Bristol has had pies made by Pieminister. A local family business, its ingredients are chosen for both taste and sustainability (Jon and Tristan are now in-laws, and both of their sisters work for the company).

Award winning pies

Every pie in Pieminister’s Classic line is a Great Taste Award winner, and it includes well-known flavors like Heidi, Free Ranger, and Moo (British chicken and ham with thyme), which are all made with free-range British chicken and sirloin (Somerset goats cheese, sweet potato, spinach and red onion).

The Pieminister menu has more than a dozen traditional pies, including an increasing number of plant-based or vegan dishes that have been registered with the Vegan Society and bear the well-known Vegan brand. The judges at the Great Taste and British Pie Awards declared Pieminister’s gluten-free pastry to be the greatest they had ever tasted. Coeliac UK has certified Pieminister’s gluten-free pies as gluten-free. A line of pocket-sized pastry nibbles called patties was introduced by Pieminister in 2019 for consumers who lead busy lives. The original four recipes, two of which are vegan, are encased in a golden saffron dough.

In addition to operating pie restaurants, cafes, and pubs all around the UK, Pieminister also distributes its products at farmers’ markets, including a pie stall at London’s renowned Borough Market.

To get to know who are the industry key players, visit our Interview of the Week page.

To stay updated, visit our Franchise News section.

To learn more, visit our Franchising Tips section.