As 2021 draws to a close, we’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on the year gone by, praise the people who made it happen, and look ahead at what’s to come.

Once the sparkly Christmas dust has settled, and the bells ring us into 2022, we enter into a whole new year of fresh opportunities and even more freshly baked pies. Before we do that, we press pause on pie production for a few days over the holidays, and take time to rest and toast the success of another year. Pour your favourite tipple and join us in raising a glass to 2021.

Pie Makers: The Record Breakers

Let’s begin with a special thanks to our legendary team of Pie Makers. In 2021, they crafted 130,000 pies, which is an increase of 72,000 from the previous year. We saw a huge surge in demand for our popular favourites, and that alone is testament to the quality of the pies that they produce.

Our Pie Makers are the power and the passion behind our pies, and without them, there would be no pie-lands in the Highlands, no boxes of pies delivered straight to your door, and we would all be left with a pie-shaped hole in our lives. Not all heroes wear capes; ours wear aprons.

To Lewis, Robbie, Rafal, Debbie, Veronika, Jackie and Eilidh, our dream Pie Makers, thank you so much for everything that you do.

Pie Specials: The Greatest Hits

When it comes to our pies, there a couple of timeless classics which continue to top the charts, year-on-year; the Steak & Ale was our number 1 best-seller for 2021, followed by the Venison & Cranberry. We believe you can never have too much of a good thing, so these staples are here to stay.

Experimenting with new pie fillings is all part of the fun, and we are always plotting our future specials, with the help of your suggestions. Some are one hit wonders, while others make a comeback by popular demand. Here’s a throwback to our 2021 releases:

• ’The Highlander’ Pie– filled with Scottish Beef, Haggis and Root Vegetables to celebrate British Pie week.
• ‘Too Much Turkey Curry Pie’ – a super-limited edition, medium curry pie, with tomatoes, spinach, onions, cream and a touch of fruity mango chutney. Only 60 were made and they were gone fast!
• Toffee Apple Pie – released again for Halloween this year, as requested by our customers, this sweet success was packed with fresh apples and a rich toffee sauce.
• Christmas Pie – a recent sell-out, and back by popular demand, our festive pie took all the best bits of Christmas dinner and packed them into a pie: roasted turkey, smoked pancetta and roasted parsnips in a rich sage gravy, topped with our bread sauce and cranberry.
• Veggie Christmas Pie – our meat-free festive special featured roasted seasonal vegetables in a rich sage gravy topped with bread sauce and cranberry.

Which pies would you like to see on the menu for 2022?
Get in touch with your suggestions.

Our Pie-Hard Fans

In this year alone, many of you ordered over 100 Pies by Post, but one customer stole the very top spot, by ordering a whopping 180 pies: that is true dedication for you.

Our customers have whole-heartedly committed to consuming our pies. Your support this year has been nothing short of incredible. From those we have met at Lochinver Larder on your NC500 adventure, to our nationwide fans who order straight to your homes, we are truly grateful for you each and every one of you. Thank you!

A new face at the larder

After receiving hundreds of applications, this year we welcomed a new General Manager to Lochinver Larder, Corné van Jaarsveld. Corne, who previously managed food outlets for the ANM Group, took the position to escape the busy city life and enjoy the great outdoors alongside his work. He said, “I class myself as extremely blessed with this opportunity and look forward to what the future holds”. We’re delighted to have Corne with us!

the perfect pielander

Vera, our 4x4 military truck, and unique pie-serving station, has welcomed hundreds of customers at Lochinver Larder this year. Originally introduced in 2020 as a temporary measure for social distancing, Vera has been so popular that she will be sticking around again for 2022. 

We also welcomed a new van to our fleet. Thank you to everyone who submitted creative nicknames for her: “Pielander” was chosen as the perfect fit!

The Pielander will be undergoing a lovely makeover for 2022, so look out for her and be sure to take photos to share with us.

2022: keep your eyes on the pies

Here at our HQ in the Highlands, we are a small team with a big vision. We have plans for a new Lochinver Larder and Boathouse destination, and while there have been delays due to Covid, we are still moving forward and are excited to reveal our new developments in the coming year. Read more about our vision here and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep your eyes on the pies.

If you are planning a visit to the area in 2022, North Coast Sea Tours are launching boat trips from Lochinver Harbour and they may have told us that they are planning sunset cruises. So dreamy! Check out our blog post on the top places to stay in and around Lochinver and be sure to pop in for a pie!

Thank you for making this year a record-breaking, pie-munching success. From our larder to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.