THE pork pies made by a family-run butchers near Selby are the best in Yorkshire.

The accolade has been given to J A Mounfield & Son Ltd, of Bubwith, in the prestigious Deliciously Yorkshire Taste Awards.

The judges described its winning pie as: “Well-baked and rustic.Filled with well-seasoned chunky meat and a deliciously crisp and fresh pastry. A pie to be celebrated!”

They added: “The Taste Awards Pork Pie category really is one of the most coveted each year with huge entries from some of Yorkshire top butchers and this year’s winner beat some seriously stiff competition to be crowned our 2018 champion.”

Proprietor David Mounfield, who began making the pies with his sister Anne in 1987, said he was delighted by its success in the Best Yorkshire Pork Pie category, which came after many other accolades throughout the business’s long history of more than a century.

“The Deliciously Yorkshire Taste awards are highly regarded in the region and it is a great honour for us to win,” he said.

“We pride ourselves on making exceptional pork pies and it is wonderful that Deliciously Yorkshire shares our opinion.

“I am especially pleased for our loyal and dedicated staff in our on-site bakery and abattoir. This award is ultimately for them – and for our loyal customers.”

He said the firm’s on-site abattoir meant it had strict control over quality at all times.

“We have been working hard over the years to make our pork pies the best in Yorkshire and, indeed, in the north of England,” he said.

“The recipe started with my gran and granddad, and we’ve worked on it and just kept tinkering to improve it,” he said.

“We are proud of our Yorkshire heritage – and our Yorkshire suppliers. Our beef comes from Rawcliffe Bridge, our pork from Melbourne and our lamb from Ellerton.”