Historic Yorkshire pie maker gets on the move with WH Smith Travel listing

A historic pork pie brand has secured listings in train stations and airports across the country courtesy of a deal struck with WH Smith Travel.

Vale of Mowbray is an award-winning pie maker based in North Yorkshire that first opened its doors in 1795 as the Vale of Mowbray Brewery.

The company started baking pies in 1928 and was bought by current owners, the Gatenby family in 1995, producing 80 million pies every year, with a product portfolio ranging from mini pork pies and snack pies, right up to “mighty” sharing pies.

Listed in 192 stores and backed with a digital screen campaign in Heathrow and Birmingham airports, the move sees the company’s pie and scotch egg offering available to peckish travellers seeking a ‘proper tasty snack’.

Managing director Mark Gatenby commented: “This launch is the latest in a number of exciting listings and we’re thrilled to see a Yorkshire product on shelf across the country, ready to be enjoyed by both domestic and international travellers.

“Launching scotch eggs led to 30 new roles being created at our production site, as well as being the impetus behind growing our sales and business development team, so it’s great to see the team’s hard work coming to fruition.”

Vale of Mowbray has invested in “state-of-the-art” machinery including the largest fryer available in the UK, achieving a unique process which will “keep the meat moister and the crumb crispier”.

This can not only be used to make 500 scotch eggs per minute but a number of other ‘encased’ products too, though the firm is keeping these ideas close to its chest for now. Based at Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, Vale of Mowbray employs over 200 people and currently has live vacancies for permanent staff members.

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