A Darwen pie shop which offers a “completely unique flavour profile” is a finalist in the Lancashire Telegraph’s Best Bakery 2024.

Ten bakeries are battling it out for your votes, with The Pie Hole being one of your finalists.

Born out of a successful venture during Covid, couple Alistair Grey and Ester Holden entered the pie industry to feed hungry golfers at Darwen Golf Club – where they still run the catering team.

Alistair said: “Everything we do is for our customers so for them to nominate us is a real achievement.

“We have only been going for a year or so and there is massive competition for food in general in Lancashire and a couple of very popular ones in Darwen as well.

“It would be a massive achievement for us to win and even being in the top 10 [is too].”

The bakery focuses on bringing unique flavours and offers chip shop chicken, Philly cheesesteak and lamb dinner flavour pies.

All received recognition at the British Pie Awards and the lamb dinner fell just short of a gold medal to the eventual winner.

READ MORE: 10 finalists in the Lancashire Telegraph's 'Best Bakery 2024' competition revealed

It also provides a selection of sweet treats, which are more of a focus when the golf season is over, selling brownies, blondies, croissants and rocky road bakes.

Having originally worked in insurance Alistair received no formal training but built his business out of a passion for ingredients and pies.

The Pie Hole has looked to support communities in Darwen by keeping prices low while making sure that quality stays high.

Alistair added: “Most of the comments we get are that we are too cheap because of the quality, and they are a very good price point.

“We are in Darwen, and we know our market and we know what they will pay, and we try to help our customers because everyone is feeling the pinch.”

The couple have one other full-time staff member and a Saturday boy who helps on the weekend.

Alistair said: “It is a big team effort to produce the number of products we produce daily.”

Readers will be able to vote for the ‘Best Bakery 2024’ by picking up copies of the Lancashire Telegraph between Monday, September 2 and Saturday, September 14, with the winner announced the week commencing September 23.