Melton Mowbray pork pies caught up in G7 Summit row

The Melton Mowbray pork pie is at the centre of a political argument over British exports.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed over the weekend that the pork pies were exported to Thailand and Iceland, but not to the US because of “red tape”.

This was disputed by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, which claimed that the products weren’t sold in Thailand. Downing Street replied that Walker & Son – a Samworth Brothers firm – exported its pies to those counties, but the company denied the claim.

The Leicestershire-made pork pies came up at the G7 Summit in France, when Johnson raised the topic of a post-Brexit US-UK deal. Johnsom said he would try and “prise open the American market” by removing restrictions on UK exports.

When asked for an example of an American trade restriction, ohnson said: “Melton Mowbray pork pies, which are sold in Thailand and in Iceland, are currently unable to enter the US market because of, I don’t know, some sort of food and drug administration restriction.”

However, on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Matthew O’Callaghan, who chairs the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, which represents the pies’ makers.

“Not really. With all of these things there is a little bit of give and take. We don’t actually export to Thailand or Iceland.

“A Melton Mowbray pork pie is a delicate fresh meat product so the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), like most other countries in the world, are very aware of meat products and you have to go through all the regulations to get them over there.

“Because of the short shelf life it is not really viable economically.”

Walker & Son – which says it makes and bakes 80% of all of the UK’s Melton Mowbray pork pies – said it no longer exports pork pies.

The firm told the BBC: “We are entirely focused on the UK market.”

The company said it has previously exported a”tiny amount” to Singapore – but had not done so “for some time”.