Meet the maker of St Helens’ triple award-winning pies

Piemaker extraordinaire John Burchall and his family have been making award-winning pies in St Helens since the 1840s and the 74-year-old is now the proud winner of our latest Best of 2024 award – St Helens’ Best for Pies – for the third year in a row.

This year’s search for St Helens Star’s best in a whole host of categories started with hair and At Gems was crowned our first winner.

Then we moved onto pies with customers and readers sending their nominations for their favourite pastry treats.

Voting for St Helens’ Best for Nails is currently taking place and we’re also looking for nominations in our latest search - Best for Roast Dinner.

Vote for St Helens’ Best for Nails 2024

Nominate your favourite for St Helens' Best for Roast Dinner 2024

Four tasty treats in St Helens made the shortlist for Best for Pies – Burchall’s, Pimbletts, Cottams and Blackburns - with Burchall’s taking the coveted crown to secure their third Best of award.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is John’s motto when it comes to creating the perfect pie and he continues to use the same recipe passed down through five generations of his family.

The famous Burchall's pork pie

Originally launched as a butcher’s shop by Joseph Burchall and merged as a bakery with his wife Elizabeth, Burchall's first opened along Church Street in St Helens town centre 184 years ago.

Making the short move to Westfield Street in 1921, Burchall's is frequently mentioned as one of the most loved businesses in St Helens and has become famous for its juicy pork pies and quality meats.

However, owner John Burchall says that business has been tough in recent years and things are "completely different" from a few decades ago.

John, who is the great, great, grandson of original owners Joseph and Elizabeth, said: "The main problem we have is footfall in the town centre.

“There has definitely been a big drop off over the years as customers favour online shopping and visiting retail parks instead.

“We sell pork pies – no sweet ones – and the recipe is decades old.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

Through its tried and tested recipes, Burchall’s has kept hungry customers returning for well over a century, whether that’s selling to local pubs and wholesalers or to those who continue to pop through their Westfield Street doors.

In fact, around 500 of Burchall's fresh pork pies are still sold every day.

John has been at the helm of the pie shop since 1995

What do customers think about the famous Burchall’s pie?

Why did they want them to win a third title in a row?

One said: “I tried my first pie when I was 15, I’m now 68 and still love them!”

Another said: “Burchalls are simply the best pies in the world!”

One happy Burchall’s customer Andrew Jones was so inspired by the shop’s history and place in the town that in 2021 he created a model, made of recycled and donated wood and scrap plywood, matchsticks and lollipop sticks with Perspex for windows and a vinyl floor tile cut into small pieces for the roof.

The model now sits in pride of place in the shop window for customers and passers-by to see.

Andrew Jones made a model of his favourite pie shop in lockdown

John, who is 74 and took over the business from his dad in 1995, added: “I can’t thank our customers enough for all their support over the years – they’re very loyal and avid readers of the St Helens Star.

“I keep all the cuttings from the paper to hand down to my children and grandchildren, like my family did in the past.

“I’m very grateful that we’ve won this award.”