Wigan’s pie scene is hotter than ever—and that’s thanks to Baldy’s Pies, the award-winning creation of local chef Alex Melling. Now based at Windy Arbour Farm Shop in Billinge, Baldy’s is drawing in food lovers from across the North West with gourmet pies that are anything but ordinary.
Recently named the best pie maker in the north, the fourth best in the whole of the UK, and a staggering 26 British Pie Awards, Alex is the man responsible for hundreds of people missing out on a weekend lie-in to make sure they get their hands on his prized pastry creations.
Alex’s rise to the peak of pie-dom hasn’t come easy, it’s been a lot of hard work with a number of setbacks, but also a steely determination to make it work, in memory of Alex’s dad, ‘Big Jim’.
Big Jim passed away in 2020,and as Alex told us “My dad never got to see what I’ve created, he never actually tasted one of my pies, but he loved a steak pie”, so in his memory, Baldy’s most famous pie (which contains eighteen hour braised beef shin, bone marrow, caramelised onions, truffle, confit garlic & herbs and is topped with a smashed pistachio crumb) is named after him, and has won two awards.
Baldy’s Pies was born in early 2021 when Alex found himself suddenly without a job at the end of 2020. A chef by trade he said “Being a Wiganer, I knew we had a number of traditional pie shops, but knew there was room for something a bit more niche.”
Alex began building a loyal following, through word of mouth, market stalls, even house parties and eventually, his iconic Baldy’s van. Known for popping up outside pubs and breweries across the North West, the van helped spread the Baldy’s name far and wide, before he opened his own shop near Wigan town centre. However, due to spiralling energy costs, he had to close that after 18 months.
But now, Alex has found a permanent home with a container shop at Windy Arbour Farm Shop, which will be open three days a week.
And his dad isn’t far away. On the side of the container is a huge mural of ‘Big Jim’ (painted by local artist Snow Graffiti), in a classic Wigan rugby shirt.
Alex joked “It doesn’t get more Wigan that this does it? My dad on the side of my container in a rugby shirt and me inside it selling pies”
Baldy’s is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am, to 3pm, but the advice is to get there early as the pies do sell out quickly, and Alex doesn’t take pre-orders.
To people who say £12 for a pie is expensive, Alex says he uses award winning butchers, all the products are free range and there is a plethora of different flavours every week.
To be honest, all the reviews we have seen, we have not seen one bad one about Baldy’s Pies. One recent comment on our TikTok channel says “when my other half told me the price I thought he was nuts, but once I had them I’d pay double what they are, they’re not just a pie.”
What’s on the Menu?
Each pie & sauce combo is £12, with a rotating menu that includes:
🥬 Smoked Lamb, Potato, Pea & Mint – Smoked lamb shoulder, lamb-fat potatoes, peas, mint, herb & feta crumb
🐄 Big Jim (Double award winner) – 18-hour braised beef shin, bone marrow, truffle, garlic, pistachio crumb
🐖 Belly Pork, Apricot Black Pudding & Blue Cheese – 16-hour pork, apricot black pudding, blue cheese reduction
🍗 Chicken Carbonara (Double award winner, Best Pie in the UK 2023) – Chicken, pancetta, Parmesan béchamel, spaghetti
Where & When
Windy Arbour Farm Shop, Billinge WN5 7XX
Friday & Saturday: 10AM–3PM Sunday: 10AM–12PM
For more information about Baldy’s Pies, click here. And if you want to try one for yourself, you’ll need to get to Windy Arbour Farm Shop, but the advice is get there early.
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