Better Business: Great North Pie Co

With a strong team of 30 now on board, Great North Pie Co has recently launched a flagship pie and mash cafe in Manchester city centre at new garden neighbourhood Kampus, with 20 covers inside and an outdoor area seating up to 30, which overlooks the garden and canal, to accompany its other venues in Altrincham and the Lake District.

Developing the right product

Before starting the business, Broomfield gained experience working in kitchens with some of the UK's most renowned chefs, including Paul Heathcoate and Jeff Baker, who brought the first Michelin star to Leeds at Pool Court, which provided inspiration for his pie business.

"I was thinking about the sauces and marinades we used in the restaurants and the pasties we made with Jeff – things like confit duck, foie gras, Madeira sauce – proper old school and out of this world. So on my days off, I'd be cooking and developing ideas and I started making my own pasties, which quickly led to pies.

"I saw a poster advertising applications for farmers' markets, so I rang them up and turned up with about 20 pies. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I sold all the pies and I was over the moon. Then I did more and more, making pies in my free time for the next three years.

"Then we entered the North West Fine Food Awards and our cheese and onion pie was judged the best in the North West. It really built up our confidence and at that point we thought, ‘we've got to give this a go properly'."

Organic growth

Broomfield moved his baking from the home kitchen to a deli in Bramhall and soon grew to making around 1,000 pies a week, "from this tiny kitchen space upstairs, with no windows". But he says it was when his wife came on board that the business really started to grow: "Her background is in restaurants and management. We work well together – I don't really have any idea about any of that stuff."

The kitchen is now permanently housed at the brand's warehouse and bakery in Wilmslow, and the team, headed up by Broomfield, still use the same method of small-batch cooking and baking as they did at the very beginning.

The growth has been organic and steady, relying on word of mouth, says Broomfield, starting by focusing on wholesale and markets and learning on the job. "We started from scratch without any knowledge or background in food production, so we've had to learn everything as we go."

Venue and pricing challenges

"The price increases, especially this last year, have meant a lot of our margin has been totally wiped out, like a lot of people," says Broomfield. "We know our suppliers have been facing similar challenges and everyone is suffering. We've had to just absorb a lot of that cost. We always try to stay loyal and work with the same suppliers, such as Dewlay cheesemongers in Preston for the butter for our all-butter pastry, to help each other and to grow with them. We don't chop and change.

"We've always invested back in the business to make it more productive and a nicer place to work for everyone here. There are difficult times ahead but we just need to focus, keep our heads down and keep on producing quality products."

The pandemic also posed challenges. "At the time, Virgin Trains first class was one of our biggest customers, but that order was immediately wiped out", and so the business turned to mail order to keep going. "Home deliveries were brilliant for us during lockdown. It's something we've carried on, although it's not our main focus now."

Broomfield initially saw the space at Kampus in Manchester city centre for his latest venture just before lockdown, and there have been challenges with that, too. "It's a new development, it's a Grade II-listed building, and there have been a lot of delays. But it's perfect for what we need, and it's great to finally be open."

Football pies and pub pies

The Manchester launch at Kampus follows Great North Pie Co's recent deal to supply its pies to football clubs including Stockport County FC. Leeds United FC and a premier league club, as well as to premium supermarket Booths, where they have now been stocked for four years.

Great North Pie Co also supplies its small-batch pies to pubs and restaurants across the UK, including Robinsons Brewery, a family-run north west brewery, and Peach Pubs, which was recently acquired by bar operator Revolution.

Each pie is made to the requirements of each business, and the Great North Pie Co team works collaboratively with operators on flavours and techniques, including incorporating Robinsons Brewery's own beer, Unicorn, into the ingredients for its menus. Both Robinsons Brewery and Peach Pubs have named Great North Pie Co as a top seller on menus, with 55,000 pies sold each year at Robinsons managed pubs alone.

"There are a lot of different food trends, but we always come back to the classics," says Broomfield. "We try to keep it a bit more regional, too, with things like butter pies and meat and potato pies, and we always do the Lancashire cheese and onion." The actual shape of the pies is important, too. "I always loved Scotch pies – my mum was from Stornoway, so I always wanted that shape with straight sides but a bit bigger. I couldn't find the right shaped tin anywhere, but then I found a place in Macclesfield that does springform tins, but they were too high, so I flipped the bottom over to make them shallower. Once I had the right shape, I took it to a company to make the tins bespoke for us."

So what does the future hold for Great North Pie Co? "There is some space to grow, we're at a point now where we can do the numbers but small enough that we can change the recipes week by week, which is where a lot of the enjoyment is. And I think where we are at Kampus is going to be really special place in Manchester."

Neil Broomfield's revelations

What's your favourite hotel?

The Stafford when we go to London. I met Stuart Procter when we developed pies for Hotel Football and he always looks after us. And a place we stayed in Iceland, which was just amazing

What's your favourite restaurant?

In Manchester, I love Erst and Higher Ground, and in the Lakes I love Old Stamp House and Lake Road Kitchen. But my favourite is a holiday restaurant we go with the kids, La Vieja in Tenerife, a beautiful fish restaurant. It's got a lot of memories

What's your favourite book or film?

Rocky and Rocky II. I used to play the soundtrack in the kitchen when I first started.

What's your perfect drink?

I love a bitters to get started

Which chef/restaurant/hotelier has inspired you the most?

Jeff Baker

What's the most important lesson you have learned in business?

Just stay focused and concentrate on what you're doing. Try not to be distracted

On the menu

14-hour braised beef and ale Yorkshire grass-fed beef, Manchester Union lager, roast carrot and celery, redcurrant jelly, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and coriander seeds, black onion, marjoram and pepper

Roast chicken and mushroom Slow-roast chicken, roast mushrooms, English and wholegrain mustard, white wine, tarragon, lemon juice and poppy seeds

Classic Lancashire cheese and onion Dewlay's tasty Lancashire cheese, caramelised white onion, white pepper, nutmeg and Japanese breadcrumbs

Butter pie Sliced Marfona potatoes, roast onion purée, double cream, white pepper and nutmeg