A PIE which is said to capture the true taste of Yorkshire was launched in York’s oldest pub.

Known simply as a Yorkshire Pie, the ingredients have remained a closely guarded secret until yesterday, the start of British Pie Week.

The lamb-based dish was served to tourism chiefs and visitors from around the country at the Black Swan Inn in Peasholme Green, where it is now on the menu.

The pie’s creator, Keith Mulhearn, of tourism organisation Complete Yorkshire, said he came up with the recipe after he decided Yorkshire needed its own pie, just has Cornwall has its world-famous pasties.

“I tried a few ingredients at home and I thought I had the recipe right, but I am no piemaker,” he said.

Mr Mulhearn took his idea to the Black Swan, where chef Maggie Anderton fine-tuned the recipe, ready for the launch of the dish.

“There’s not a lot changed from my original dish,” said Mr Mulhearn.

“It’s just that there’s a proper chef making it now.”

The pie, which is made with lamb, potato, and a dash of Henderson’s Yorkshire Relish, is served with a mint gravy.

Yesterday the creation proved a big success with visitors to the pub.

John Middleton, visiting York from Sandbach in Cheshire, said: “It’s very tasty – the mint gravy really makes it. They have definitely got the taste of Yorkshire there with that lamb.”

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, the city’s official tourism body, tried the vegetarian version, which included tomatoes, carrots and onion.

She said if the meat version was as good, it was “going to be very popular”.

John Gallery, of the Tourism Society Yorkshire, acted as guinea pig during the three-month development of the pie and was at yesterday’s launch. After tucking in, he declared Yorkshire had “another new product to be proud of”.

British Pie Week is held during the first week in March and celebrates one of Britain’s favorite foods.

The pie’s recipe is now available to try out at completeyorkshire.com/food.htm