INGFIELD Farm Shop in Southowram, near Halifax, was crowned supreme champion after virtually sweeping the board in the sixth annual Great Northern Pork Pie Competition, which ran alongside the 2014 Christmas primestock shows at Skipton Auction Mart.

The Law Lane business, run by the Bamford farming family, clinched the top accolade with its first prize speciality eating pie – a pork, cheese and chutney creation that is a regular best seller at the farm shop.

Also chosen as the best pork pie from a Yorkshire entrant, the title winner was handcrafted in Ingfield Farm Shop’s in-house bakery by master pie maker Barry Kaye, who has been making pies and other savouries since he was a teenager.

It came in for high praise from the competition judges, including Janet Green and Rob Ogden, of Farmhouse Fare in Skipton, supreme champions the previous four years.

This year, they were handed the honour of having the final say on who should succeed them in recognition of their unprecedented run of success.

Ingfield Farm Shop received the champion’s trophy from Robin Moule, of Skipton-based PR company Moule Media, and David Hempel, a director of competition sponsors, Keighley spice merchants TW Laycock and Sons.

The farm shop had a great day in the competition, which is open to Yorkshire and Lancashire butchers, farm shops and bakers who make their own pies on their own premises.

Ingfield won three of the five competition classes- they took first prizesin classes for traditional pork pies and sausage rolls and a third prize in the stand pie section.

“We’re chuffed to bits to do so well in a prestigious competition like this. It’s a real team effort and all our award-winning products are available over the counter on a daily basis. We don’t make them any different just because it’s a special event,” said owner Richard Bamford, who runs the business with his sister Margaret and son James.

It was founded by his parents, Norman Bamford, a master butcher and farmer, and mother Lucy, who still lives on the farm, which she and her late husband bought in 1975.

Both generations have been long-time champions of local produce. All Ingfield Farm Shop’s pork comes from Yorkshire pigs. The shop favours Landrace-cross-Welsh pigs and uses only gilts. “The females of the breed are really good porkers. We also make our own home-cured bacon and sausages from them,” said Mr Bamford.

The business has an established supply partnership with Wakefield pig farmer David Westwood, while the white Stilton cheese used in the champion speciality pie is also sourced locally through cheesemonger Derek Priestley in Ogden. Ingfield sources store cattle at Skipton Auction Mart, predominantly Limousin-cross, finishing them off on the farm, before they make their way into the food chain.

Haighs Farm Shop in Mirfield won the traditional stand pie competition class, with the victor also chosen as reserve champion pork pie. The shop finished runner-up with its sausage rolls.

The reigning 2014 Great Yorkshire Pork Pie supreme champion, Keelham Farm Shop in Thornton, Bradford, was runner-up in the stand pie class, with Robinson’s Farm Shop in Northowram claiming the same position in the traditional pork pie class, in which B and M Collins Butchers, of Cleckheaton, came third. Whiteside’s Butchers in Colne had the best pork pie from Lancashire.

Brosters Farm Shop in Huddersfield won a standalone Scotch eggs competition class and was also runner-up in the specialty eating pie class, with Bolster Moor Farm Shop in nearby Golcar third.

Hamlets Butchers, of Garstang, finished second in the Scotch eggs class, with Brimham’s Jackie Bradley placed third for the second year running, while Gisburn’s Janette Pate was third with her sausage rolls.

A competition class for fruit cakes was won by Eileen Addyman, of Skipton, while the best Victoria sandwich cake came from Margaret Perrins in Rathmell, and the best jar of home-made chutney from Cath Cromarty in Beamsley.

A fodder hay competition was won by the first prize bale of old meadow hay from Joe Coates, of Coniston Cold, with his son David reserve champion with the second prize old meadow hay bale. He also had both the first prize bale of seed hay and haylage.

As in previous years, there was again a keynote charity element to the action-packed day, with pork pies, fruit cakes, Scotch eggs, sausage rolls and fodder – all donated by willing participants, plus generous donations by many others - auctioned off in the main ring to a host of enthusiastic bidders.

Around £3,500, a new event record, was raised for the two main annual beneficiaries, Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope and Brooklands School in Skipton.

Skipton Auction thanked all who had supported the action-packed annual showcase.