West Sussex bakery Turner's Pies marks British Pie Week with charity drive and award bid

With shops in Bognor Regis, Chichester, Worthing and Rustington, and a central kitchen in Littlehampton, Turner’s Pies produces around 5,000 premium pastries each week.

A family business with traditional values, the company is also diversifying – with an online shop Pies by Post, and it’s even launching a vegan pie this year.

Known for its meaty pastries – it all started with a steak and kidney pie – managing director and the third generation of the pie-making dynasty Phil Turner aims to maintain the traditions of the business while moving into the 21st century.

And his strategy is working. The company has won a number of awards in the last decade, and its pies were even sold in Harrods after being named in the Guild of Fine Foods in 2013.

Most recently it featured in the BBC documentary Life of Pie, before bringing home an award for its steak and mature cheddar offering at the British Pie Awards 2019.

In 2018, Turner’s was named the ‘supreme champion’ with a mouth-watering steak and ale pie.

So which of Turner’s pies could be crowned champion at the British Pie Awards this year?

In the running is former winner and customer favourite the steak and ale pie.

Another popular parcel, the chicken and ham pie has been put forward for the top award.

And last year’s winning steak and mature cheddar pie is also up for a gong, alongside the steak and kidney pie, which is where the Turner’s Pie story first began (see right).

To find out more about Turner’s Pies, its awards and products, visit: www.turnerspies.co.ukPie profits donated to Chestnut Tree House

Master baker Phil Turner and his award-winning team at Turner’s Pies will have their eyes firmly on the prize once more when they head to this year’s British Pie Awards.

The awards – held during British Pie week, and in association with The Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association – are set to run next week (March 2-8). They celebrate the nation’s passion for pies and recognise the pie as one of the icons of British cuisine.

And managing director Phil and his staff have an extra special reason to bid for glory this year thanks to a new initiative to try to boost the coffers of a deserving local charity.

The West Sussex business is donating £1 from its award-winning steak and cheddar pie sold in store to Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice.

Mr Turner said: “We have enjoyed success at the awards over the years and we are confident that once again we can challenge the very best in the land. We have gained a deserved reputation of being one of the best in the business and we have every reason to believe that our pies will once again have the judges talking about just how delicious our pies continue to be.

“And as company we want to give something back to our community and see Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice as so deserving and that is why we are happy to make donations from the sale of pies to contribute to the very worthy work they do for poorly children who need lots of help.”

Turner’s Pies has won an array of gongs at previous awards and last year its steak and mature cheddar pie earned the judges’ praise – it was crowned as champion in its class at the awards ceremony in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

It will be available to buy in all four of Turner’s Pie stores for a limited time, with £1 from every sale during British Pie Week being donated to Chestnut Tree House.

The Arundel-based children’s charity provides hospice care services and community support for children and young people with progressive life-shortening conditions in Sussex. It offers support for the whole family including psychological and bereavement support, end of life and short break care and sibling support.

Three generations of Turner's Pies

Turner’s Pies has been around for almost 90 years, with humble beginnings in Bognor Regis – and it still has a presence in the town today, three generations later.

Turner's Pies started in 1930s, by husband and wife Peter and Eva Turner. They moved to Bognor from London, and took on the Commercial and Temperance Hotel.

They catered for commercial travellers, as the hotel was close to the railway station, and the place also became known for its delicious home-cooked food, particularly Mrs Turner’s steak and kidney pie.

As the youngest of the Turners’ three children, Pip Turner would often work in his parents’ restaurant whilst studying at catering college.

After many successful years, and 40 years of hard work at the Commercial, Peter and Eva decided to retire and shut down the business – although Mrs Turner was baking pies for customers locally all the way into her eighties – and she lived to the grand age of 104.

The second generation, Pip and his wife Maggie decided to open a small bakery in Hawthorn Road, Bognor in 1990 and name it Turner’s Home Baked Products, with the famous steak and kidney pie on the menu.

Over the years, the couple developed new products for the customers, and began to gain a really strong reputation with the local community for their fresh homemade goods. The word soon spread and trade customers such as pubs and restaurants soon followed.

Pip and Maggie had three sons who all worked in the Bognor bakery growing up, and the youngest of the brothers Phil took over the business in 2007, 27 years after his parents opened their shop.

His siblings Peter and Joe soon joined him, and they help to run the business to this day.

In recent years, Turner’s Pies has grown to four shops, with Rustington opening in 2014, Chichester in 2016 and Worthing in 2018.

It has also begun selling pies UK-wide through its Pies by Post service and has won a number of national industry awards raising the company’s profile.

Phil said: “We now have around 30 staff working for the company, one of which is my wonderful wife who deals with most the company’s administrative tasks and keeps us boys in check.

“Both mum and dad keep a close eye on things and often can still be seen in the shops helping out, but normally causing mischief.

“They often call me into the boardroom (mum’s living room) and tell me where I’m going wrong!

“I’m in no doubt that there will be a fourth generation of this wonderful family business that we are all extremely proud of.”

Keeping the business local and sustainable is the key to success

Turner’s Pies is a business which has found success and growth in the local community – and although it has won national acclaim, managing director Phil Turner is keen to keep things small and sustainable.

Mr Turner said: “I think the pies are the best that money can buy, that is what we try to achieve.

“I think that not only the products, but the service is more akin to how things used to be. It’s more personal.”

The traditional approach has also meant the company is eco-friendly and sustainable without having to try too hard.

“Because of the nature of our business we have never been big on plastic,” Mr Turner said.

“It is part of our branding to use cardboard packaging. We look at what we do, and are sustainable without being conscious of it.

“Our food waste is low as we bake everything here in Littlehampton, and have the ability to provide the shops with what they need.

“We sell out every day as we provide the right amount of stock. Our model is to generate low wastage.

“We want to make sure our customers get fresh products and we bake from scratch every day.”

He said this approach, as well as sourcing ingredients from local suppliers where possible, is what makes the pies so good.

“The proof is in the pudding,” he said.

On what’s next, Mr Turner said: “We have no plans for any more shops this year, after every stage of expansion we need a period to consolidate and insure standards have not been affected by growth.”

And that careful approach is set to stand the company in good stead for continued success.

See this week's newspaper (February 27) for a free sausage roll offer for our readers from Turner's Pies.