As we come to the end of 2022, it’s time for us to reflect on what has been another fantastic year, our wonderful pie makers, loyal customers and looking ahead to 2023 and beyond.
2022 was another brilliant year, for both our customers, staff and business planning. It was our first full trading year without covid, which was such a relief! The year didn’t come without its challenges, with dealing with our wonderful highland weather being one of the main difficulties. But we overcame it with our dedicated pie makers, who made a whopping 105,507 pies this year! We thank our team for their dedication and heart work.
We’ve also seen a huge increase in new customers as well as returning, which is testament to the quality of pie we make here at the larder. We can’t thank our supporters enough!
It may come as no surprise that once again, our best-selling pie was our infamous Steak and Ale! Delicately wrapped in our shortcrust pastry, these pies are filled with diced shoulder of beef and soaked in delicious Guinness. You can see why it’s so popular!
For the veggies, our most-popular pie was the hearty Chestnut, Mushroom and Red Wine pie. It’s one of our favourites too, and you can be sure it’s here to stay!
It wouldn’t be us without a few limited-edition pies thrown in the mix, would it?!
Trialling and tasting new pie ideas (a mix of ours and suggestions from you) is always a highlight, and you can rest assured that a lot of tasting goes on behind closed doors – all in readiness for our hungry customers. So, without further ado, here’s a round-up of 2022’s limited pies:
We can't write a round-up blog and not mention us being award winners, can we?! Lochinver Larder’s pies are officially the 'Best Scottish Meat Pies’ - awarded by the British Pie Awards in March!
Our Highland Venison and Cranberry was a Gold winner, while the judges found particular delight in our Chicken, Leek and Mushroom pie.
This was such a special moment for us, and one we won't forget!
Lochinver Pie-maker team winning ‘Best Scottish Meat Pie’
We thought we’d take a quick look to see where our most popular UK regions are for Pies by Post – is it Scotland? Wales? Well, it looks as though London is the winner, with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen not far behind! We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for being such loyal customers.
Whether we’ve met you in the larder as a local or while you’re enjoying your NC500 holiday, or you’re a customer based further afield who orders your pies, we’re truly so grateful to each and every one of you. We couldn’t do this without you. Thank you!
And while many of you have ordered enough pies to last almost half the year, one customer in particular ordered 144 pies in 2022 – what a star!
Early November saw us opening our doors to visitors to have a sit down meal with us inside, which was very timely after the freezing weather we’ve been having recently. With daily specials, a warm welcome and an excuse for a natter, we’re pleased to say our local customers have been making the most – it’s been so wonderful to see you all enjoying your food!
You can expect the same quality and service from us here at the larder, together with new pies, limited edition pies and other exciting offers. We’ll also be moving closer with our plans for Lochinver Larder and building a new, exciting food and beverage destination at the Caberfeidh.
Thank you again for making this year another one to remember and for being such loyal customers. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!