Right in the centre of Melton Mowbray, Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe is one of the town’s best-known food landmarks. Melton Mowbray pork pies are still baked on site each day, giving visitors the chance to buy them fresh from the source. A major refurbishment in 2025 brought a more open layout, heritage displays and a new addition: The Tasting Room.
This café space gives people a chance to stop, sit down and eat, rather than simply shop and leave. You can order pies, drinks and light bites, but the standout option is the Sharing Platter, loaded with pies, cheeses, deli meats and other local treats. It is a good way to sample what makes this place special.
The story of the shop goes back to 1851, when John Dickinson opened a bakery here. His grandmother, Mary Dickinson, is closely linked with the development of the Melton Mowbray pork pie itself. She used hand-raised hot-water pastry, packed it around seasoned pork with a wooden dolly, then added jellied stock to protect and preserve the filling – a method that helped define the style still associated with the town today.
Alongside its famous pies, the counters are stocked with local beers, chutneys, Stilton, Melton Hunt Cake and other regional produce. Historic, busy and full of character, this is both a proper shop and a useful stop for anyone wanting to taste Melton’s best-known speciality where it belongs.
