CLECKHEATON butchers B&M Collins have been crowned supreme champions for their prize-winning pork pies.

The family run shop in Westgate was awarded the Ted Jones Supreme Pork Pie Trophy in memory of the late South Yorkshire butcher - a stalwart of the competition organised by the Confederation of Yorkshire Butchers Councils (CYBC) - for its small - or traditional pork pie - at the 30th annual Great Yorkshire Pork Pie, Sausage & Products Competition held at the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford.

Margory Collins and her daughter, Mary Johnson, received the award from Stephen Firth who was representing sponsors Dalziel.

No stranger to success, the business previously won the flagship pork pie title in 2015 and have also been black pudding champions.

At the 2018 renewal, B&M Collins also won the large pork - or stand - pie competition class, receiving the Lucas Trophy from the company’s senior account manager, Judith Johnston. Their class-winning small pork pie also received the Interbake Shield from the firm’s Lesley Dunne.

Established 40 years ago by Billy and Margory Collins whose son, John, is the butcher and Mary and her other brother Michael do the majority of the baking, the business also came runner-up in the black pudding competition class.

Said Margory: “We’re really pleased. This makes a big difference to us – when we won a few years ago it increased trade and we get people coming from all over now just for our pies.”

Michael Collins explained the secret of their success: “We always source good ingredients. We take a lot of pride in how we make them and how they look – and it takes a lot of hard work. We don’t make special pies for the competitions – these are just the same as the ones we sell in the shop.”