Tasty pies from Northern Irish artisan quartet

Four artisan businesses in Northern Ireland have teamed up in a unique initiative to create handcrafted meat pies for retail.

The pies are the brainchild of Jonny McDowell, the owner of Indie Fude, an award winning deli based at Comber in county Down. McDowell pulled artisans Black Beef Dexter, a farm based business also near Comber, along with Mawhinney's Family Butchers and Delicatessen, Young Buck blue cheese and Bullhouse Brewing Company, a micro-brewery, all three located in Newtownards, county Down to the new pies.

The initial range comprises two pies - Black and Blue using Black Beef Dexter meat with Young Buck cheese and Black and Black from Black Beef with Bullhouse craft porter. The 720g pies retail at £8.95

Explaining the decision to move into handcrafted pies, McDowell says: "I've been working with the three artisan businesses for some time, selling their products in my shop and at farmers' markets across Northern Ireland.

"All three are extremely popular individually with customers because of their quality, outstanding taste and provenance. It made sense to approach them to work with me on the development of products from their successful products.

"The three producers agreed and this encouraged me to approach a local butcher, Mawhinney's, which has extensive knowledge about pie production."

Young Buck blue cheese is handcrafted by Mike Thomson of Mike's Fancy Cheese and is a raw milk product which has won national awards for quality and taste.

Black Beef is 100 percent pasture-fed Dexter beef raised on the rich established grasslands of Rowallane Estate in Saintfield, county Down.

Mawhinney's Family Butchers & Delicatessen has been owned and managed by Sam Jordan, an experienced butcher, since 1996. He has a farming background and specialises in a wide range of pies, lasagnes, ready to eat meals, fresh vegetables, milk and bread, all locally sourced.