The world’s first dedicated pork pie museum to open

This fascinating, one of a kind museum will feature historic artefacts and archive photography recounting the history of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, which dates back to Mary Dickinson - credited with making the first Melton Mowbray Pork Pie hand-raised with a wooden dolly in 1790's.

Visitors to the museum will be also able to enjoy footage depicting how a hand-raised Melton Mowbray pork pie is made and a photographic display which portrays the origins of both the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie and ‘Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe’ history – the home of the Melton Mowbray pork pie since it opened as a bakery in 1851. Features from the original Shoppe building will be signposted with small plaques detailing dates and their backstories, including 17th century wooden beams and walls, the original fireplace from the old Corn Exchange and medieval brickwork.

The Museum will be housed in the newly renovated and expanded ‘Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe’ - a grade II listed building and the oldest and only remaining pork pie bakery and shop in Melton Mowbray which has had many special guests during its history, including numerous royal visits. To celebrate the reopening of the stylishly refurbished store, café and the new museum, expert bakers from Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe have created a brand-new limited-edition Pork Pie, ‘The Best of Melton Pork Pie’ to mark the occasion. Just like the Shoppe, the new pie will bring together some of Melton Mowbray’s finest artisan produce – a British outdoor-bred pork pie, topped with famous ‘Paint the Town Red’ Red Ale Chutney and creamy Stilton from local dairy, Long Clawson, melted on top. The Limited Edition Pork Pie will be available in the Shoppe when it opens in June and is available to pre-order online at www.porkpie.co.uk.

Richard Griffiths, General Manager at Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, commented: “We are really excited to open the world’s first dedicated Pork Pie museum and delighted to see our beautiful Shoppe expanding and becoming even more of an exciting place to visit. We can’t wait to welcome Pork Pie Pilgrims to Melton Mowbray to learn about our heritage and taste our iconic pork pies.”

The refurbished and expanded museum and store will include:

· The world’s first dedicated Pork Pie Museum

· Increased retail space, allowing even more in-house and locally sourced produce to be stocked, alongside core ranges of pies, cheeses and condiments

· A food to go area where hot and cold products can be purchased including handmade Pork Pies and savoury and sweet pastries from their bakers, breakfast rolls, sandwiches, toasted paninis, tea, coffee and more.

· A new seated café space, bringing back something that dates back to 1910s.

The Shoppe will host regular events from in-store tastings from local suppliers and Pork Pie making demonstrations.

To find out more about Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe , the Museum, and to purchase the limited edition The Best of Melton Pork Pie, visit www.porkpie.co.uk