The story begins in the late 1840s when John Dickinson started making pork pies on Burton End in Melton Mowbray. John (1828 - 1908) came from a family with a background in pork pie manufacture. Mary Dickinson, John’s Grandmother, was a noted pork pie maker and is credited with using the first wooden dolly to raise the pastry. This technique creates the bow-walled appearance that we know and love today.
We’re proud to say that Mary is considered the originator of the world famous Melton Mowbray Pork Pie.
As the business expanded, in 1851, John leased a building we all now know as Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe on Nottingham Street in Melton. 170 years later, the building is still a working Pork Pie bakery, the only one in the town, still harnessing the skills and craftsmanship of its originators.
In 1886 a young apprentice, Joseph Morris joined the bakery and in 1901, the business changed name to Dickinson & Morris.
In 1951, Dickinson & Morris was purchased by Bernard Pacey and Mr & Mrs Young. Bernard owned the newsagents next door to the Shoppe. He recruited a skilled local Pork Pie maker called George Young and they ran the business together.
In 1992, Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe caught fire and local organisation Samworth Brothers stepped in and purchased the business. In conjunction with English Heritage, the Shoppe was restored to its former glory and opened later that year.
With unprecedented demand, Dickinson & Morris expanded into supermarket retailers in 1996, making our delicious, award-winning pies available to consumers across the UK. A proportion of manufacturing moved to the Walker & Son Bakery in Leicester to support the growth. Our pies are still made to the Dickinson & Morris recipe and our 440g is hand finished with our famous eight crimps.
In 2009 after more than a decade of lobbying, Melton Mowbray Pork Pies were given Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). This means ‘Melton Mowbray’ can only be applied to pork pies if they’re: 1) Made within a certain geographical area. 2) Made with fresh, uncured pork. 3) Baked with no support.
The world famous Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe is the only bakery left within the town that is still making Melton Mowbray pork pies. People come from far and wide to sample a slice of history, and our pies of course. Upon a visit to the Shoppe, you’ll find a selection of award-winning pork pies, cheese and homemade cakes. The Shoppe is a big part of our heritage and we’re so proud to call it home.
