Fans at Wrexham AFC have voted for a new official club pie to give them the taste of success and “put fire in their bellies”.
The football foodies opted for a hot chilli beef pie after the club teamed up with the award-winning Village Bakery which is based in the town.
The aim is to put Wrexham on top of the league for their pies which will be sold on match days at the Racecourse.
They’re determined to knock Kidderminster Harriers off their perch as the UK’s acknowledged league leaders in the pie stakes.
The historic club established in 1864 – the oldest in Wales and the third oldest in the world – also wants to take on the famous Killie Pie at Kilmarnock FC that’s been named as the best pie in Scottish football.
The Dragons fans were given the final say at a special tasting session to make the final pick from a short-list of two flavours encased in mouth-watering short-crust pastry.
They narrowly went for the chilli beef pie in honour of club mascot Wrex the Dragon ahead of the other contender, a steak and cheese pie.
The family-run Village Bakery, which has been associated with the club for many years, is gearing up production so that the piece can be available in the New Year.
Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths, who is also the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, is a passionate, life-long supporter of the Dragons and she approves of the fans’ choice.
She said: “This is great news. We have this wonderful football club and an iconic company, Village Bakery, joining together which is good for the club and fans.
“It’s important for the fans to have something good to eat and the Chilli Beef pie is perfect for match day food. Now, we want the Dragons to be breathing fire and roaring in the league.”
Village Bakery chairman Alan Jones, goes back a long way with the club.
In 1978 he was chairman of the testimonial fund for club legend Gareth Davies and recalls going to pick up playboy footballer George Best who had agreed to play in the match.
Alan recalled: “I went with Pryce Griffiths to pick him up from Crewe station but we were a bit nervous because he had a reputation for not turning up.
“But he did come and it was a fantastic occasion in front of an 18,000 crowd.
“We all want to bring back the glory days to Wrexham and hopefully the new club pie is a step in the right direction – hopefully, the chilli beef filling will put fire in their bellies.”
It was a sentiment echoed by the bakery’s pie room manager, Kerry Wilson.
He said: “It’s great to associate ourselves with Wrexham Football Club. There are a lot of fans who work in the bakery.
“Our full range of pies is already available here but the chilli beef pie is a special one for them.”
The club’s commercial manager, Geoff Scott, has high hopes for the new club pie.
He said: “I’m confident it’ll be a very, very successful Wrexham pie. The Village Bakery is a great local iconic company and a fantastic brand and we’re delighted to be working with them.
“All the profit will go into to the football club and not to anybody else so that encourages people to buy food at the ground. It is a win-win situation because the fans can enjoy a tasty branded Wrex pie and support the club at the same time.”
