Local pub famous for its pies celebrates more recipes for success

Local pub famous for its pies celebrates more recipes for success

Fleur de Lys, British Pie Awards

A village pub in Warwickshire has proved once again when it comes to pies it knows the recipe for success after scooping a string of awards last week.

Three of five of the Fleur de Lys shortlisted recipes have been selected from hundreds of entries in the prestigious British Pie Awards.

The pub’s Special Spicy Pork and Basil Pie took Silver while Bronze was awarded for both their Steak and Ale and Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Pies. They were among the ‘hot favourites’ singled out by a panel made up of over 160 leading experts from the retail, baking and butchery sectors as part of British Pie Week.

Co-owner Emma Woodhouse said: “We’re so delighted that our historic pies have been recognised once again at the British Pie Awards. A lot of love and hard work goes into producing these pies and it’s really rewarding to have a silver as well as two bronze awards this year.

Fleur de Lys, British Pie Awards

“It always feels like a long shot when there are 900 entries and with little old us going up against giants of the food industry, but it’s a wonderful celebration of British cuisine and we feel really proud to have received these accolades.

“For us, our priority is always ensuring that our customers at the Fleur De Lys receive a perfect pie but of course it’s so exciting when we get a certificate from the Pie Awards to affirm that we are continuing to honour the pie legacy that started here in the 1950’s.”

Emma added: “To coincide with British Pie Week last week, we’ve also launched our Pie Club Loyalty Card for the first time. You can pick one up at the bar on your next visit, so you can start collecting stamps to get your 10th pie for free!”

It wasn’t until the early 20th century when The Fleur de Lys first opened as a tavern, later going on to introduce the ‘pioneering’ idea of serving food and giving rise to the now famous Fleur De Lys pies.

The pub first began serving pies through the infamous kitchen hatch during the 1950s, drawing crowds from all over the Midlands to sample Mr Brookes’ finest steak and kidney or chicken and mushroom pies.

Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford

The inn was mainly frequented by farmers who’d come in for a pie and a pint after they’d finished harvesting. The licensee at the time bought Emscote Mill in Warwick, from where they distributed nationwide but eventually the original pie recipe and company was sold to Pukka Pies. But, under the auspices of current landlords Emma and Nick Woodhouse, in 2018 The Lowsonford Pie Company was born and all 11 flavours of pie are now handmade and served directly from the Fleur De Lys kitchen.

It is not the first accolade for the Fleur de Lys, whose pie making team have a real appetite for awards success.

Warwickshire’s ‘home of the pies’ collaborates with influencer on special editions

Warwickshire’s ‘home of the pies’ collaborates with influencer on special editions

The Fleur de Lys, The Fat Foodie UK, British Pie Week
Rachel Griffiths, Chris Hardy and Gemma Hughes.

A village pub in Warwickshire has teamed up with a local foodie influencer to create four more unusual special editions of their famous pies in a week that celebrates the food favourite.

Running throughout British Pie Week this week, the team at The Fleur de Lys, in Lowsonford has crafted four new recipes for visitors to try in collaboration with Chris Hardy, a.k.a The Fat Foodie, from Kenilworth.

For this week only – or until stocks run out – diners can sink their teeth into ‘creative’ new additions to the menu, Cheese Burger Pie, Chicken Madras Pie, Butter Chicken Pie and Beef Stroganoff Pie.

The Fleur de Lys, The Fat Foodie UK, British Pie Week
The special-edition Cheeseburger Pie.

Co-owner Emma Woodhouse said: “We’re so excited to be joining forces with The Fat Foodie UK to bring some fresh new flavours to our historic pies during British Pie Week. Chris has been spending time in our pie kitchen with our dedicated pie chefs, Rachel Griffiths and Gemma Hughes, to add The Fat Foodie flair to our Fleur De Lys pies and create something exciting and special for British Pie Week. Chris pitched recipe ideas, Rachel did all the research and development and then the three of them finalised the flavours together.

The Fleur de Lys, The Fat Foodie UK, British Pie Week
The Fat Foodie collaborated with The Fleur de Lys to create some special edition pie recipes.

“With Chris’ background in burgers we of course had to create an epic Cheeseburger Pie to celebrate his food legacy, as well as a few new flavours that will be available on our specials menu for one week only. These are in addition to the 11 standard flavours you’ll normally find on our menu.

“Every day is pie day here at the Fleur De Lys, but we love celebrating British Pie Week and everything great about this uniquely British cuisine.

“Hospitality has had a tough time over the last few years, so we’re always looking for excuses to celebrate everything that is great about pub grub and great community spaces. It’s a real pleasure to partner our long pie-making legacy with a dynamic, modern brand like The Fat Foodie UK and we’re so excited for you to come and try our special editions.”

Emma added: “To coincide with British Pie Week, we’re also launching our Pie Club Loyalty Card for the first time. You can pick one up at the bar on your next visit, so you can start collecting stamps to get your 10th pie for free!”

It wasn’t until the early 20th century when The Fleur de Lys first opened as a tavern, later going on to introduce the ‘pioneering’ idea of serving food and giving rise to the now famous Fleur De Lys pies.

The pub first began serving pies through the infamous kitchen hatch during the 1950s, drawing crowds from all over the Midlands to sample Mr Brookes’ finest steak and kidney or chicken and mushroom pies.

The inn was mainly frequented by farmers who’d come in for a pie and a pint after they’d finished harvesting. The licensee at the time bought Emscote Mill in Warwick, from where they distributed nationwide but eventually the original pie recipe and company was sold to Pukka Pies. But, under the auspices of current landlords Emma and Nick Woodhouse, in 2018 The Lowsonford Pie Company was born and all 11 flavours of pie are now handmade and served directly from the Fleur De Lys kitchen.

After spending time working as an engineer at Rolls Royce aerospace and more than 10 years working in hospitality, Chris found success with The Fat Foodie brand, going on to work with the likes of Guinness, McDonalds and KFC.

The Fleur de Lys, The Fat Foodie UK, British Pie Week

He said of his latest collaboration: “After falling out of love with the kitchen but still having a passion for all things food, it was only right I started channeling my love for the industry through social media.

“After moving from Birmingham to Chadwick End, the Fleur de Lys was one of the first pubs we ever visited and, from the first time I walked through their doors, I knew this pub would always have a place in my heart!

“So the fact that this week I’m collaborating with them on a menu for British Pie Week is surreal! It’s an absolute honour to work alongside such an incredible kitchen team and especially the legendary ‘Pie Ladies.’ A massive thank you to Rachel and Gemma for letting me in to their ‘pie factory.’

The Fleur de Lys, The Fat Foodie UK, British Pie Week

Fleur de Lys pies have also enjoyed great success in previous years at The British Pie Awards – with the Steak and Stilton coming second in the whole country!

And this week the team are waiting to hear if they have once again reigned supreme in this year’s Awards after entering five of their recipes for judging, made up of a panel of over 160 leading experts from the retail, baking and butchery sectors.

Pies are entered into 26 different classes and the winner of each class gets judged to find the pie that is crowned ‘Pie of Pies’ or Supreme Champion of the Awards.

 

Love and Horror theme at this year’s ALSO Festival

Love and Horror theme at this year’s ALSO Festival

ALSO Festival, Compton Verney

Big names in the worlds of music, comedy, food, wellness, science and nature are coming together for this year’s award-winning ALSO Festival in Warwickshire in July, with this year’s theme being Love and Horror. 

Comedians Dom Joly and Robin Ince, along with world renowned musicians Molotov Jukebox, head up the impressive line-up for the UK’s most inspirational summer festival, once again taking place at Compton Verney.

ALSO Festival, Compton Verney, Dom Joly

Marking its twelfth year, ALSO25, on the weekend of July 11-13th, brings together performers and musicians, best-selling authors, celebrated scientists and experts in a variety of fields to create a much-anticipated ‘magical and immersive experience.’

With 142 events across the three days, ALSO encourages festival goers to let ideas run wild and truly reconnect with nature via a sublime 17th century setting designed by Capability Brown.

With this year’s theme being Love and Horror, festival goers can lose themselves in terrifying tours, weird and wonderful workshops and nail-biting nature antics with activities such as:-

  • step into Jane Austen’s shoes on the very grounds she trod, for a guided tour by best selling author Ella Berthoud: a celebration of Austen’s life and work on the 250th anniversary of her birth.
  • The Street Tree founder Paul Wood will be doing special guided tree walks
  • The unique and ever-popular Bat Walk is back with a night time tour through the ALSO woods.
  • Enjoy Treachery: a midnight murder mystery game.
  • There will be an electrifying workshop on How to Make a Horror Movie
  • Comedy and horror collide in a panel hosted by Joel Morris author of ‘Be Funny Or Die’ and writer for the likes of Paddington, Philomina Cunk and Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe
  • BBC 4 regular Athena Kugbleno explores misinformation, asking whether tales of brave knights and fearsome queens are fact or fiction, in her game show for adults and kids based on her acclaimed book ‘History’s Most Epic Fibs’.

ALSO Festival, Compton Verney

Diccon Towns, ALSO Festival CEO and co-founder, said: “ALSO25 throws open its gates this July for you to romp around the most beautiful site in festival-land, exploring our theme of ‘Love and Horror’. Bring your best summer outdoor-living/van-lifing/glamping selves and immerse yourself in a weekend of high camp together under a big summer sky. For, as we’ve always known, to come together to go wild in the wild each summer is what we humans are built to do and a summer festival is an essential part of a year lived well.

“Our site is one of great beauty, designed by Capability Brown in the 1700s and walked upon by Jane Austen before us, no less. ALSO is a hand-built multi-award winning next generation festival: highly immersive, truly experiential, and highly curated – with ideas threading through everything that we do. We make it effortless for our guests to engage with big, life enhancing ideas and live a wild summer weekend in an extraordinary location.”

ALSO Festival, Compton Verney

Among those helping Molokov Jukebox set the stellar soundtrack for the summer are  Samba drumming workshop Tribo;  rapper, actress and singer songwriter Madeleine MINX Dunbar; lead vocal coach on The Voice, Juliet Russell and one of Denmark’s wildest live bands, Smag På Dig Selv (SPDS).

Dishing out the laughs alongside Dom Joly and Robin Ince, will be ALSO festival favourite Rob Deering – who puts comedians on the spot in his live music-based comedy pop quiz – Beat This!TikTok sensation Marcel Lucont is hosting his legendary Cabaret Fantastique, ensuring a night of smart, surreal entertainment. 

ALSO Festival, Compton Verney

Hear from neurobiologist and feminist Gina Rippon about female autism. Dr Camilla Pang will explain how thinking like a scientist can help us to step confidently through the minefield of misinformation we face on a daily basis. And writer and broadcaster Miranda Sawyer takes the ‘Soundtrack Of My Life’ slot. 

As always, ALSO25 gives festival-goers the opportunity to embark on unique and magical adventures, from learning the practice of eye gazing to guided lake swimming lessons at dawn and dusk; ALSO’s run club will kick off the day with a guided 5K or 10K. Or for a more relaxing start, wellness partners Numinity will ease you into the day with a morning yoga flow class.

While families can choose from a minibeast safari around the picturesque lake or learn how to escape being shipwrecked with a raft building session. Award-winning Warwickshire theatre group, Playbox will be on site with performing arts workshops to inspire budding actors. And due to the popularity last year, the Festival Nannies are back to give parents some free time to enjoy themselves at the event.

ALSO Festival, Compton Verney

When you’ve satisfied your appetite for knowledge, there’s plenty to entice foodies too under the auspices of award-winning resident chef James Whetlor. He is delivering Saturday evening’s Love And Horror Banquet.

Adult weekend tickets from £65 – £165; Family weekend tickets: £260 – £360;  Adult day tickets: £40 – £80.  Under 5s go free.  Camping is free and glamping options from £450 for 3 nights. Visit: HERE.

Parking is free but there are also a limited number of car passes available which allow vehicle access to the campsite as well as campervan passes.

Fleur de Lys boasts rich pie-making history

Fleur de Lys boasts rich pie-making history

Fleur de Lys Pub, Lowsonford

Despite being nestled quietly on the banks of the Stratford canal in the little-known village of Lowsonford, the Fleur de Lys pub is a big noise in the pie-making world – boasting a proud heritage which is now famous the world over.

In fact the Fleur de Lys is the home of the pie which bore its name for many decades. Whilst the original pies ultimately became part of Pukka Pies, the Fleur de Lys team have worked hard to keep their pie legacy alive by creating the award-winning Lowsonford Pie Company – serving 11 flavours of handmade pie in the Fleur De Lys kitchen every day.

The Fleur De Lys started out as a row of three 15th-century cottages which became canal workers’ accommodation and were later knocked together. Subsequent uses included a blacksmith’s forge and even a mortuary, from where the bodies were taken to Rowington Church in the absence of a village church at the time. The arches where they would have horse and wagons going through to build the canal can also still be seen.

Fleur De Lys, Lowsonford, Fleur Fest

It wasn’t until the early 20th century when it first opened as a tavern, later going on to introduce the ‘pioneering’ idea of serving food and giving rise to the now famous Fleur De Lys pies. The remains of the bread oven, installed in the 1930s, can still be seen at the side of the main fireplace, and it was here where the licensee at the time, began cooking his now famous Steak & Kidney and Chicken & Mushroom pies.

The Grade II listed Fleur De Lys pub first began serving pies through the infamous kitchen hatch during the 1950s, drawing crowds from all over the Midlands to sample the finest steak and kidney or chicken and mushroom pies. The pub also went on to supply its pies to chip shops all over the county, becoming a staple treat for many.

The inn was mainly frequented by farmers who’d come in for a pie and a pint after they’d finished harvesting. The licensee of The Fleur from 1950 to 1958 was Mr. Brookes, who decided to increase the scale of his venture by moving production to Emscote Mill in Warwick, and so this became the home of Fleur de Lys pie production, distributing nationwide. Indeed, most of the buildings on the Emscote Road next to the Warwick and Napton/Grand Union Canal are remembered as the home of the Fleur de Lys pie factory, also fondly associated with those familiar aromas of pie production!

Fleur de Lys, pies

But in 1964 the original pie recipe was sold to Avana Meat Products in South Wales, who were subsequently absorbed by Premier Foods. The factory at Emscote was purchased by PUKKA Pies of Syston, Leicestershire, and eventually demolished in 1993.

Determined to keep the pie legacy alive, under the auspices of current landlords Emma and Nick Woodhouse, in 2018 The Lowsonford Pie Company was born, the Fleur de Lys pies continuing tradition and once again becoming sought after – handmade and served from the Fleur De Lys kitchen.

All their artisan pies are encased in a shortcrust pastry with a puff pastry lid and, when enjoyed at the pub, come accompanied with chunky chips, seasonal veg and lashings of gravy. Uniquely, all the pies are also available to takeaway, either chilled or frozen for just £6!

The pies have also received national recognition, enjoying great success at The National Pie Awards in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

Fleur de Lys, lowsonford

Current custodians Emma and Nick Woodhouse took over as licensees of the pub from Greene King nearly 11 years ago.

Emma said: “We’d decided to take on our first pub together and this place came up for sale. I remembered it because we used to go here when we were kids, my family would bring us here. I remember swinging on the willow trees over the canal.

“When we visited we knew immediately this place could be an absolute treasure chest. It’s the perfect location and exactly what you think an Old English country pub would be like. It’s so cozy with the log fires going in the winter and a beautiful canal-side garden to enjoy in the summer months.

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in our time here so far, making the pub much more family-focused but it’s always a work in progress.

Fleur de Lys, Lowsonford
The original bread oven used to make the pies.

“The village was so supportive of us and that first night that we were here, they all came out in force to greet us. Despite certain changes over the years, we have tried hard to keep honouring the character of the building. But the biggest compliment for us is when people say, ‘oh, I used to come here in the 50s for a pie through the kitchen hatch, and it’s just the same as it was then, but a bit nicer!’

“We strive to make people feel like they’re home away from home, so that whenever you’re here, there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.”

A Fleur de Lys is an ancient heraldic symbol of a lily flower with three petals. It can also mean an iris, which is botanically more correct as they do have three petals. It features on many coats of arms, including that of the British Royal Family.

Here’s how to find it: Fleur de Lys, Lapworth Street, Lowsonford. B95 5HJ. Visit:
https://www.thefleur.co.uk/

Local foodie’s latest project helps tackle poverty

Local foodie’s latest project helps tackle poverty

A Leamington foodie is using her platform to help shine a spotlight on the efforts of a local charity to help tackle the rising food crisis in the area.

Bianca Rodrigues Perry took a step behind the camera when she visited Coventry Foodbank’s Open Day on Saturday, as part of preparations for a New Year special episode of her Bia’s Kitchen Show filmed at the Binley site.

The presenter of the popular Bia’s Kitchen Show on YouTube was joined by her production team along with friends and family, to pack food parcels, destined for the 15 foodbank centres across the city.

Bia's Kitchen Show, Coventry Foodbank

Visitors to the Open Day also donated half a ton of food items and had the chance to learn more about the work of the foodbank and its sister charity Feed The Hungry, as well as the various ways they can get involved.

Bianca and her team brought a special buzz to the Open Day, which ran throughout the morning and included interviews with volunteers, visitors and the Foodbank founder Canon Gavin Kibble MBE.

He said: “Coventry Foodbank and Feed the Hungry were delighted to welcome Bia’s Kitchen Show to the Halo Centre. Bia is a vibrant and infectiously fun Brazilian lady and we are all looking forward to developing this partnership in 2025 for the benefit of people who need our support in Coventry and Warwickshire.

“We are incredibly grateful to her for using her growing platform to help focus in on the work of the charity and the vital ongoing need for public donations and support, especially at this time of year.”

Coventry Foodbank distributes food through 15 partner churches and works closely with a wide range of care professionals who identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

Clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food. Volunteers also meet them over a warm drink and can signpost them to other organisations to help resolve the longer-term problems that might cause someone to need to use a foodbank.

Fifteen years after settling in the UK from her native Brazil, a combined passion for cooking and entrepreneurialism became a lifeline for Bianca, who went on to win Couple’s Come Dine With Me on Channel Four. Buoyed by her early business success running a thriving food delivery service during lockdown, it was in January this year that she stepped out of the shadows of her kitchen once more, and into the limelight. The Bia’s Kitchen brand was born. Since then Bianca and her show, which is streamed twice monthly on YouTube, have won the affections of a loyal and growing UK audience.

Bia' Kitchen Show, Coventry Foodbank

Copies of a recently released cookbook dedicated to local independent food and drink businesses in south Warwickshire, are also selling well. The featured chefs were made up of guests that appeared on her show throughout this year.

Of her recent Foodbank visit, she said: “Coming from a Third World country you know what hunger means and, at my lowest, I had a period of living in Rio de Janeiro with just one real in my pocket a day, so I like to think I can relate to what being hungry really means.

“We all have those small things in life that make us happy and two of them for me are food and helping other people. I’m proud to be able to bring those together to make this special show.

“It is absolutely amazing the work they do here, changing people’s lives, not just in Coventry but around the world. You don’t have to be a millionaire to change the world, you just need to do your little bit to help. A little bit can make a big difference to people who don’t have anything.”

Bia' Kitchen Show, Coventry Foodbank

As part of the Bia’s Kitchen Show project, Bianca also plans to take her film crew to visit one of the Foodbank’s regional pantries in Lillington to capture another area of the charity’s work.

She added: “It’s an especially pertinent time to raise awareness with many families struggling to put Christmas dinner on the table. We hope our support and the special episode of the show dedicated to the work of Coventry Foodbank and Feed The Hungry, can help make a difference.”

See the video HERE.

Bia's Kitchen Show, Coventry Foodbank
Foodbank Manager Dee Ward helps supervise the Open Day.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • One in five of the UK population live below the poverty line.
  • There are just under 1,400 Trussell Trust food banks in the UK, in addition to at least 1,172 independent food banks.