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A famous Leicestershire event is the focus of a BBC television programme, which airs tonight.

'Life of Pies' will lift the lid on the British Pie Awards, which takes place each year in Melton Mowbray - home of the pork pie.

The pie awards are hosted by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, and aim to celebrate the nation’s love of pies.

According to event organisers, Brits eat around £1billion worth of them every year.

Earlier this year, BBC cameras followed some of the 200 bakers as they prepared for the 11th annual competition, hoping to win the pie-makers Holy Grail, the coveted 'Pie Of Pies' trophy.

(Image: BBC)

Past winners have seen their small businesses boom and their prized pies sold in Harrods.

This year's event featured three new categories - the vegan pie class, a special annual themed fish and chip shop pie class, and a best young piemaker class.

The event takes place in Melton’s St Mary’s Church, and once Reverend Kevin Ashby’s ceremonial 'blessing of the pie' is over, the oven gloves are off - as the programme shows.

The competition is no stranger to controversy and scandal: a pasty won in 2016 amid cries of “that’s not a pie!” and this year’s competition sparks a new debate.

(Image: Alex Hannam)

Matthew O’Callaghan, chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association and host of the British PieAwards, appears on the programme.

He told LeicestershireLive:

"It was a great piece of television showing the British love for pies and the quirky but serious nature of the British Pie Awards.

"You could see the passion of the pie makers for their craft and their desire to be the best – and yet rising above the competitiveness there’s also the respect and friendship between the makers who are shown in some cases sympathising in the one case with someone’s misfortune and in another case with someone else’s success.

"The documentary will do wonders for pies, pie makers and of course Melton Mowbray and Leicestershire.

"Roll on PieFest where people can buy some of these award winning pies!"

Life of Pies is on BBC One at 7.30pm tonight. It is part of BBC One’s Our Lives series - a collection of programmes from across the UK celebrating the diversity of our society.

PieFest takes place on July 27 and 29 in Melton's Livestock Market.