When you think of premium savoury pies, you may not expect to find them in your local fish and chip shop.

But for residents of Barnard Castle, their local chippy doesn’t just produce top notch pies, they produce the best pies in the country, according to the judges of the 2024 British Pie Awards.

The Minted Wensleydale Lamb and Potato Pie at Middleton-In-Teesdale Fish & Chip Shop, run by husband and wife team David and Lydia Sumter, was named Britain’s official “Pie of Pies” by the experts in Melton Mowbray – the spiritual home of the UK’s pies.

The pie, like all the pies at Middleton-In-Teesdale, are handmade by Lydia.

It fought off the competition from 35 other pie-makers to win the Lamb category, before beating off all the other category winners to be named Supreme Champion.

The judges commented that “this is a come and eat me pie”, that the “pastry is a poem, perfectly seasoned and wonderfully flakey” and that the “filling is very well balanced, meat is beautifully tender and the mint is coming through well.”

Matthew O’Callaghan, Chairman of the Melton Pork Pie Association and host of the British Pie Awards, said: “On Wednesday we had the pleasure of tasting some delicious pies, and Middleton-In-Teesdale Fish & Chip Shop stood out against the competition to triumph in the Lamb Pie category, and then go on to be crowned Supreme Champion, which is no easy feat.

“The winning pie was evenly baked with tender pieces of lamb, soft potato and a subtle minted sauce that was absolutely delicious. I’d like to offer my congratulations to Lydia and the team, a well-deserved winner.”

Barnard Castle isn’t just home to fantastic pies, it is of course the location that former Tory spin doctor Dominic Cummings claimed he drove to to test his eyesight during Covid.

As well as that cultural episode, Barnard Castle boasts stunning views over the Tees Gorge and is right on the edge of the North York Moors and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

And yet, despite the other worldly scenery, Barnard Castle has comparatively low house prices.

According to Rightmove, “properties in Barnard Castle had an overall average price of £212,237 over the last year”.

The online estate agent added: “The majority of sales in Barnard Castle during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £235,201. Terraced properties sold for an average of £168,237, with detached properties fetching £312,408.

“Overall, sold prices in Barnard Castle over the last year were 7% down on the previous year and 5% down on the 2021 peak of £224,383.”