A PIE made in Suffolk has beaten almost 1,000 other entries to be crowned as the country’s best.

The Pie Kitchen’s Chicken, Chantenay Carrot and Bacon Pie was picked as Supreme Champion at the British Pie Awards.

The Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket-based company only started trading 18 months ago but has been building up a loyal customer base at farmers’ markets.

Carol Phillips, 51, one of the directors of The Pie Kitchen, said: “We are in shock, it’s been like a bolt out of the blue. We won a gold award last year but this is something that we never expected. We put a lot of passion and love into our pies, but to win is a different thing.

“It’s huge for us. We’ve been trading for a number of months but it’s really taken off in the last year. Everything we use is fresh, locally sourced, nothing processed and no preservatives.”

More than 100 pie experts judged the 983 entries for their appearance, texture, and taste.

The entries were submitted in 20 different classes including Melton Mowbray, pork, beef and football pie.

Miss Phillips did not want to reveal the winning pie’s recipe but said it would soon be available to buy after being baked up specially for the awards.

Dave Heggs and Sally Lewis are also directors of The Pie Kitchen.