New pie shop set to open in Cowfold

The Real Pie Company will officially open the branch on Monday November 2 and following a £30,000 investment.

It fulfils an ambition of Brett Hornby, managing director of the family-run business based in Crawley, and comes after witnessing a surge in demand for their handmade pies and pastries during lockdown.

He said: “During the lockdown we saw a huge spike for our products with many people asking where they could get them in and around Sussex. This sparked the idea to look for a shop where we could open and sell our products direct to the public.

“We used to have a retail outlet at our kitchens at our main premises many years ago, which was very popular with the locals. However, as the business expanded we needed to use the space so we could produce more pies. Since then, I have always wanted to reopen another shop and I have found the perfect place in Cowfold.

“I know Cowfold very well. It is a thriving village and benefits from a lot of through traffic to Horsham, which is great for visibility. During the refurbishment, we’ve had incredible feedback from people saying that they cannot wait for us to open.”

The shop, which will be open Monday to Saturday, will stock The Real Pie Company’s range of award-winning ‘crammed to the crust’ pies, pasties, sausage rolls and sweet treats.

With the festive season approaching, the business has just launched a range of Christmas products including two turkey pies, a sausage roll wreath and the popular boozy mince pies.

If the shop is successful, Hornby has not ruled opening further shops and bolstering the high street.

He added: “Opening the shop is a small boost for the high street trade, which has been severely hit over the years and even more so this year with the Covid-19 pandemic. We’re confident it will be a success, but it is still a trial for us. We would love to open more shops in the future, so it’s a case of watch this space.”

In March 2020, The Real Pie Company won a record 14 awards for its range of products at the British Pie Awards.

The Real Pie Company, which will continue sell its products via established stockists and online, was founded in 1999 and began in a West Sussex butcher’s shop.