An Angus pie maker has been inundated with orders after its award-winning pie featured on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh.
The WeeCOOK Kitchen in Barry, Carnoustie featured on the ITV show‘s pie and pint feature on Sunday.
Pie judge Andy Clarke showcased the kitchen’s Fishwife Pie and paired it with a suitable pint.
The pie holds the award for best fish pie in Britain and contains haddock, natural smoked haddock, salmon and Arbroath smokies, held together with a secret family sauce and topped with puff pasty and poppy seeds.
Owner Hayley Wilkes first created the Fishwife Pie in 2020 for her “fish and seafood mad dad” who died in 2021.
Because of Covid restrictions, Hayley had not managed to see him for more than two and a half years. He sadly passed away before getting the chance to try the pie for himself.
“I organised a visit home to Wales for Christmas last year to give him some Fishwife pies,” she said.
“Sadly, he passed away so I never got the chance to see him and he never got enjoy the pie I’d made for him.
“It’s a year ago exactly on Wednesday since he passed, so the timing of the pie being on the show couldn’t have been a more fitting a tribute to him.
“I was a bit emotional that he got a mention and that Andy Clarke matched the Fishwife Pie with a pint of Welsh cider.
“My dad would have been in his element!”
WeeCOOK Kitchen ITV success
The pie and pint panel also included singers Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, who learnt what an Arbroath smokie is.
Two of WeeCOOK’s apprentices also got a mention from Andy Clarke, as they have won the British Young Piemaker of the Year for two consecutive years.
Hayley says she and the team were buzzing after the Fishwife Pie’s two minutes of fame.
PiE TV NEWS!! WEECOOK FISHWIFE PiE ON ITV – ACTUAL!!
Tune in this Sunday morning to @ITV Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh
Check out our little awesome award winning Fishwife pie and some pints being enjoyed at Andy Clark’s Happy Hour by @AlfieBoe and Michael Ball! 🤩🥧 pic.twitter.com/0s9UhGkHNr
— WeeCOOK (@Wee_COOK) December 1, 2022
“It’s an absolutely amazing feeling seeing our little WeeCOOK pie on national TV. That’s exposure we’d never anticipated for our little business,” she added.
“The restaurant was mobbed all day, we sold out of pies twice.
“The phone never stopped ringing and we were inundated with orders for pies by post from all over the UK.
“After a pretty tough year for the hospitality side of our business and with a challenging winter season ahead, this has come as the perfect early Christmas present for our team.”
The WeeCOOK Kitchen has a busy festive season ahead both in its restaurant and at markets.
It will be at the Forfar Farmers market Saturday 9 and Bowhouse market Saturday 9 and Sunday December 10.
Saturday 17 it is at Forthill Christmas market in Broughty Ferry and the Arbroath farmers market on Sunday 18.
From Monday 19 to Saturday 24 it will be at WinterFest in Dundee sharing a stall with 71 Brewing where locals will be able to get their hands on the award-winning products.
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