AN artisan pasty producer in Bolton has won the vegan category for having the best pie, in the British Pie Awards.

HM Pasties was up against 976 entries, made by 179 pie makers.

But it was their chickpea curry pasty that wowed the judges in the vegan category, scoring 95 marks out of 100.

Other favourites with the judges from the bakery in Norris Street, Bolton, included the leek and mushroom pie, which won a bronze award. The traditional pasty also won a bronze award and their cheese and onion pie took home a silver award.

Owner Lee Wakeham said: “To win an award of this size after starting this on my own is incredible.

“A lot of people were surprised at the quality.

“In the competition, the pies are blind tested, so they didn’t know they were made by HM Pasties, and they were then judged on the quality.

“It just feels like this is where we need to be, and I look forward to the next steps and how we move on from here.”

The pie company previously entered the contest and won a bronze award, but has never won a category before.

Lee, an ex-offender, originally got involved with the company in 2017, when it was part of a charity's project.

Following its success and funding from the Big Lottery Fund, Forward Trust and the Santander Foundation, Lee was able to buy the trademark from the business in 2019.

He added: “It was a huge gamble away from a comfortable job, straight into running my own business.

“It was during the pandemic, and I thought ‘what have I done?’

After his own experience of prison and the struggle to find work, Lee became passionate about assisting other former prisoners and helping them overcome obstacles as they seek work.

“What we are doing is about rehabilitation to improve the lives of people, but also make sure there are less victims of crime," said Lee.

“This is their first chance, not their second chance, because people are born into circumstances that lead to choices, from going to school, to doing well in sixth form, and university.

“They weren’t the options for me.

“I wanted to do something for ex-offenders combined with my love of Cornish pasties.”

HM Pasties is already working with Manchester City, delivering pasties three days a week on match day and are in talks about expanding the idea.

He added: “We are a social business, and not a charity.

“We just want to sell more of our award-winning pies and reduce reoffending.”

Over the last five years, 18 people have been employed by the company and Lee is proud to have offered the opportunities to them.

He aims to have former offenders making up 40 percent of the workforce. There are two on the staff at the moment and they are in the process of recruiting a third.