Pork pie maker denies recipe change after backlash

7 minutes ago

Matt WeigoldDerby

News image — Birds Bakery sell pork pies across the Midlands but hundreds of customers have said they have noticed a deterioration in quality

BBC A large pork pie with a quarter cut out sits on a wrapper and plate in front of a bakery. The plate is being held be someone out of shot. The bakery has a large glass front and the maroon sign reads 'Birds Bakery.' There is a pavement and road sign beside it. — Birds Bakery sell pork pies across the Midlands but hundreds of customers have said they have noticed a deterioration in quality

Hundreds of pork pie fans have said their favourite treat has dipped in quality - despite insistence from the manufacturer that the recipe has not changed.

Mike Dowd, 65, posted on the Pork Pie Appreciation Society Facebook page his pie from the Chaddesden branch of Birds Bakery was "nowhere near as good as they used to be".

His post prompted more than four hundred comments, many of whom agreed.

Birds thanked customers for their opinions but insisted the recipe had not changed since it opened in 1919. But Dowd does not believe the firm and said: "It was so tasteless, the pastry was half an inch thick, there was no jelly - what a shame."

He added: "You always notice really good pork pies - the pork is a greyish colour whereas their pork now is bright pink."

Supplied Two images. Left, a pork pie cut with a quarter cut out of it is on a white plate sat on a black kitchen counter. There are white tea, coffee and sugar jars in the background. Right, a man with white hair and glasses stands in front of a bakery. He is wearing a thick grey coat with a hood. The bakery has a striped rain cover and a large maroon sign. — Customer Mike Dowd was disappointed with his Birds Bakery pork pie

Dowd, from Breadsall, said he had a fondness for the company since he had a Saturday job at the Birds warehouse in 1976 and said historically their products were "the best".

"I've noticed over the last two or three years, it seems to be going off," he added.

Paul Ellison made a similarly critical pork pie post on the same group and the two reviews together led to more than 500 negative comments about the product.

Almost 350 of those criticisms suggested the Birds pork pies had deteriorated.

Tim Brown, 55, said he had enjoyed Birds' pork pies since he was a toddler, but they had recently "lost the pepperyness."

"We got a big one at Christmas and I just thought it didn't remind me of my childhood," he added.

However, Brown said he still intended to shop at the Alvaston bakery for sausage cobs, cakes and scones, even though his loyalty has been challenged.

"Birds are a fantastic local business and I think people should support them as much as possible," he added.

Supplied A man in a black jacket, blue flat cap, blue jeans and brown boots is stood in front of a bakery. He has a small dog on a lead in one hand and a carrier bag in the other. He is stood beside a swinging A-board sign which says 'We're open.' The bakery has a large glass front and a lime green sign which reads 'Birds.' The bakery is attached to a black barbers and a blue charity shop. There is another charity shop next to that further down the pavement. — Tim Brown, pictured with his dog Daisy, revisited the Alvaston shop despite the pork pies having "lost the pepperyness"

Birds Bakery, which has more than 60 shops across the Midlands, has remained in the same family for over a century.

Fourth-generation family member, Jamie Bird, is the current managing director.

He said he had seen the online feedback and thanked the passionate critics for their thoughts.

"We'd like to reassure customers that our pork pie recipe has not changed. We're proud to have been making and selling them the same way since we opened our first bakery in 1919."

"Our pork pies are handmade daily and enjoyed by many customers - and if anything, the debate shows just how much people care about a proper pork pie," he added.

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.