And the winners are... Tom Haigh, Henry Whitworth, Simon Haigh, Andrew Whitworth and Luke Haigh, of Hinchliffe’s Farm Shop.

The pastry had been crimped, the meat minced, and the jelly set, when hundreds flocked to Ripponden to get a slice of the action at an annual pork pie competition. The event, in its 18th year, is run by the Pork Pie Appreciation Society.

This year, 50 hopefuls arrived from around the UK hoping to make it into the top crust. Pie fans, including superhero Pie Man, lined the cobbles outside the Old Bridge Inn, Ripponden, to sample the entries. They were given a masterclass in pie-making by John Lord, while music from the Friendly band filled the air.

The 12 judges whittled the 50 entries down to a top 12, before handing the title of best pie to six-time winner Simon Haigh of Hinchcliffe's, in Netherton. Ed Wright, 27, set off from South London at 6am to compete. Mr Wright, a graphic designer by day, picked up a rolling pin for the first time last year. The family business of William Wright and Sons, based in York, closed 17 years ago, but his entry used his great-grandfather's recipe.

He said: "I scaled it down from batch production to a manageable size for my kitchen." He said tried about 20 variations of the original recipe before settling on his "rustic" pie. Mr Wright said: "I was awed by the rest of the entries, they were perfect. Everyone was so friendly. It was a great day out." The group's secretary Peter Charnley described the perfect pie.

He said: "It's got to be fresh crusty and crisp pastry. The meat has got to be spicy, very tasty and the pie should be well-filled." Unfortunately no Calderdale finalists made it into the final 12. Mr Haigh said he will give the £100 prize money to charity, and next year he will find himself on the other side of the fence, when he will appear as a guest judge at the event. Money raised at the event will go to Heath Stroke club, Marie Curie nurses and the Ripponden and Rishworth Conservation group.