David Mounfield - granny's recipe and genetically-improved pigs have proved a run-away success for his home-make pork pies

David Mounfield, who runs a family butchery business, J A Mounfield & Son at Bubwith, near Selby, won Yorkshire's best speciality product at the Great Taste Awards, presented by the Guild of Fine Food Retailers in London.

As a diversification venture for the business, which has been trading for over 100 years, David dug out his granny's recipe to produce the pies using high-quality meat from genetically-advanced pigs. They come from locally-based international pig breeding company, ACMC Ltd of Beeford, near Driffield.

He used to buy his pigs from the local market, but when foot-and-mouth disease interrupted supplies he turned to ACMC on the recommendation of a local farmer who was impressed with the quality of the breeding stock. David now buys all his pigs, 6-8 a week, from that source. The majority of them are turned into pies - all hand-made using hot-water crust pastry and a special blend of spices - which are sold in the shop and to other selected butchers and retailers in the York, Selby and Market Weighton area.

Such is their merit, the pigs selected for breeding are now in demand all over Europe and as far away as America and Asia. However, David Mounfield likes the fact that those he buys are produced locally and he can guarantee both their quality and traceability.

"Locally-produced pies traditionally made, from locally-produced pigs are our big selling points," he maintains.