Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe: The Home of a British Icon

If you're going to eat one pork pie in your life, eat it here. Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe on Nottingham Street in Melton Mowbray is widely regarded as the spiritual home of the Melton Mowbray pork pie, a product with Protected Geographical Indication status that can only be made in this corner of Leicestershire. Dickinson and Morris, the company behind the shop, has been baking on this site since 1851, making it one of the oldest surviving pie makers in the country.

The address is simple, the shopfront is modest, and that's rather the point. This is not a tourist attraction dressed up as a food destination. It's a working bakery that happens to welcome visitors.

What the Kitchen Is Known For

The Melton Mowbray pork pie is the reason to make the trip. Unlike the factory-made versions you'll find in supermarkets across Britain, the pies here are made by hand using uncured pork, which gives the filling a distinctly grey colour and a looser, more textured consistency. The pastry is a hot water crust, hand-raised around a wooden dolly in the traditional way, and it bakes to a deep golden colour with the characteristic bow-sided shape that sets a genuine Melton Mowbray pie apart from its pale imitations.

The shop often features pies in several sizes, from individual portions you can eat on the spot to larger versions meant for a table. A natural bone stock jelly fills the space between the meat and the pastry once the pie cools, which is either the best part or the part that takes getting used to, depending on your background with British food.

Beyond the flagship pie, the shop tends to stock a rotating selection of regional products. Stilton cheese, another Melton Mowbray speciality with its own protected status, is usually available alongside chutneys and other accompaniments that travel well. If you're putting together a picnic or a food gift, this is one of the better stops in the East Midlands for doing exactly that.

Atmosphere and Setting

Nottingham Street sits a short walk from Melton Mowbray's market square, and the shop itself is the kind of place that hasn't tried too hard. The interior is compact. Display cases hold the day's pies. The smell of freshly baked pastry tends to do most of the work in terms of atmosphere.

On busy market days, particularly Tuesdays and Saturdays when Melton Mowbray's outdoor market is running, the street gets noticeably more foot traffic and a small queue outside the shop is common. Come midweek on a quieter afternoon and you'll have the counter largely to yourself.

The shop is small enough that browsing and buying happen in the same breath. Don't expect to linger over a table. This is a bakery, not a cafe, and the experience is closer to a deli counter than a sit-down meal.

Price Tier

Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe sits comfortably in the budget to mid-range bracket. Individual pies are genuinely affordable, and even a larger pie or a selection of regional products won't put a significant dent in your day. For what you're getting, including the provenance, the craft, and the protected status of the product, it represents strong value.

Best Time to Visit

Tuesday and Saturday mornings tend to be the liveliest, when the town market draws crowds and the shop is at its most energetic. If you want a quieter experience, aim for a weekday afternoon outside of school holidays. The shop opens in the morning most days and typically closes in the mid-afternoon, so arriving early gives you the best selection before popular sizes sell out.

Melton Mowbray itself is worth half a day, and pairing the pie shop with a walk around the market and a look at St Mary's Church, one of the more impressive parish churches in Leicestershire, makes for a satisfying visit without needing to rush.

Good to Know Before You Go

• No reservation needed. This is a walk-in bakery and deli counter.
• The shop is on Nottingham Street, roughly a 5-minute walk from the town centre and market square.
• Pies are sold whole, not by the slice. Individual-sized pies are the easiest option if you're eating on the go.
• The shop has been operating on this site since 1851, which means the building itself is part of the story.
• Melton Mowbray pork pies carry Protected Geographical Indication status, the same category as Champagne and Parma ham. That's not marketing language; it's a legal designation.
• Stilton and other regional products are usually available alongside pies, making this a practical stop for food souvenirs.
• Check opening hours before visiting, as they can vary by season and on bank holidays.

Neighborhood and Location Context

Melton Mowbray is about 15 miles northeast of Leicester and sits in the Vale of Belvoir, a stretch of countryside that has quietly produced some of England's most protected food products. The town has been a market town for centuries and still operates one of the more authentic weekly markets in the East Midlands. If you're arriving by train, Melton Mowbray station is a manageable walk into the centre.

Nottingham Street itself is a short, characterful road that connects the market area to the wider town. The pie shop is easy to spot and easy to miss if you're not paying attention, which is part of its charm.

Who This Is For

Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe is for anyone who takes British food seriously, or wants to start. It's an easy stop for food tourists doing the East Midlands, for families on a day out in Leicestershire, and for anyone who has ever eaten a supermarket pork pie and wondered if there was something better. There is. It's here, on Nottingham Street, and it has been since 1851.

FAQ

Do I need to book in advance?

No. The shop operates as a standard bakery and deli counter. Walk in, choose your pie, and pay at the counter.

Can I take pies home or on a plane?

Pork pies travel reasonably well in a cool bag for a day trip. For longer journeys or international travel, check current food import rules for your destination, as meat products are restricted in some countries.

Is the shop suitable for non-meat eaters?

The pork pie is the core product, so this is primarily a destination for meat eaters. The shop may stock other regional products like cheese that work for vegetarians, but it's not a destination with significant vegetarian or vegan options.

What makes a Melton Mowbray pork pie different from other pork pies?

The key differences are the use of uncured, fresh pork (which gives the filling its characteristic grey colour), the hand-raised hot water crust pastry, and the bow-sided shape. The Protected Geographical Indication means only pies made in the Melton Mowbray area using these methods can legally carry the name.