Ayr woman could see her homemade pie go on sale around the UK

Nov 9 2012 by Jennifer Buchanan, Ayrshire Post

An Ayr woman could see her homemade pie go on sale around the UK.

Sheena Spence was picked out of thousands of entries to be one of three finalists in Britain’s Best Pie, a competition being run on Lorraine Kelly’s breakfast show.

And if she gets the most votes Sheena’s apple, stilton and dried figs pie with cinnamon pastry will go on sale at Waitrose stores around the country.

She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I got the call to say I was a finalist.

“I had to get my husband to listen to the message.

“I didn’t even read all the terms and conditions when I sent away my recipe. I never thought I’d get this far.”

Sheena has never worked in any kind of cooking field – she had a job in the office at Cathcart Street doctors’ surgery before she retired – but she is no stranger to success in the kitchen.

For 32 years ago Sheena won a nationwide cooking contest – after she entered a competition in the Ayrshire Post.

And the prize was a set of cooking pots, a slow cooker and £100 cash.

Sheena explained: “I had to go to Ayr Town Hall to cook my macaroni cheese.

“I won that one and then I went to Cumbernauld for the final and I won that too.

But for her latest achievement Sheena had to travel a bit further than Cumbernauld.

On Monday morning she was on Lorraine Kelly’s couch and appeared on the morning television show.

And her pie, which she created specially for the competition, got a glowing review from judge Jean-Christophe Novelli.

The top chef said: “There was nothing you could fault. It was simply beautiful.”

To vote for Sheena visit www.itv.com/daybreak/onlinecompetitions/britainsbestpie.

Voting is open from 8am today (Thursday) until noon tomorrow. The winner will be decided next week.