Four National Trust properties...four National Trust chefs...four National Trust apple pies...but who won the East Anglian Apple Dash?

Chefs from four major National Trust properties across the region went head - to - head this morning in an apple pie-off; to see who will be crowned Premier Pie Property of 2007!

From plucking the apples off trees on National Trust estates to the finished product of a piping hot, delicious, seasonal and locally sourced apple pie; the four pies were judged on flavour, presentation, but above all…speed.

© National Trust

Catering staff from Anglesey Abbey and Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire; and Blickling Hall and Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk competed in the National Trust’s East Anglian Apple Dash and the competition was fierce, with just two minutes between the winner and second place!

It was Blickling Hall and chef Paul Massingham who took pole position in the pie race, who cooked his apple pie from scratch – even collecting apples from the orchard – in a remarkable sub-30 minutes! Hot on his heels was Wimpole Hall and chef Sarah Teukert whose pie was ready for consumption after only 32 minutes. Anglesey Abbey and Felbrigg Hall came third and forth place with a respectable 46 and 49 minutes.

All pies were tasted by colleagues and each chef followed the same recipe: ‘Apple and Cheesecrust Pie’, taken from 'Good Old Fashioned Puddings' by Sara Paston-Williams, available in National Trust shops across the region.

So how did Blickling Hall manage such a speedy time? It could have something to do with the chef hopping onto one of the estate warden’s 4 x 4 vehicles to get to the orchard and back to the kitchen in record time!

All four properties are advocates of the Trust’s campaign for buying and enjoying locally sourced, seasonal food and practicing reduced food miles; and making an apple pie using apples from the grounds in which you work can’t get more local than that!