When we baked the best pie in Britain we knew we had created a recipe for success — but little did we know the delicious steak and ale treat would become the star of a new BBC show.

Turner’s Pies celebrated with glee when the tasty treat was voted the supreme champion at last year’s prestigious British Pie Awards with judges handing out a score of 99/100 saying the perfect pastry parcel was “a clear winner and head and shoulders above the rest”.

Now our Sussex-based family-run business is to feature in a BBC documentary celebrating Britons’ love of pies with a focus on our very own master baker Phil as he goes about preparing Turner’s Pies’ entry at this year’s awards in March.

Documentary maker Anthony Bartram says filming will capture the build-up to the awards, adding: “We’ll then return to Turner’s Pies to see more of the operation and hear about the lovely family story behind the business in the Spring and the programme will be broadcast later this summer.”

Phil, who oversees our four shops in Chichester, Bognor Regis, Rustington and Worthing, says he is delighted to feature in the film. He said: “It’s a fantastic endorsement of what we do and really exciting. We were overjoyed to win the pie of pies award in 2018 and when you think we triumphed over 950 other pies it’s an absolutely outstanding achievement.

“Now the challenge is to be in the running once more, and we’re quietly confident we can do that.”

The awards beat the drum for an industry which sees 75 per cent of Brits eating at least one pie a month and spending a whopping £1.2 billion a year in so doing.

A spokesman explains: “The British Pie Awards recognises the craft and skills of those that produce them whilst promoting British produce and our regional specialities.

“The awards have become an institution for pastry-connoisseurs. This is the 11th anniversary and we have judged well over 8,000 pies over the years.”

And to mark British Pie Week in March we are running a promotion for anyone local to one of the outlets – watch out for a flyer via door drop delivery offering 10 per cent off any Click and Collect order.

Phil added: “If you know about us but have not yet tried our delicious range of fantastic goodies this is the perfect chance to come in and see exactly why we are championed as the best pie-makers in the country.”