November 20th, 2025
How to create delicious pies that captures the heart and the tastebuds:
- Two friends, Jon Simon and Tristan Hogg, get home to the UK in 2003, having travelled in Australia.
- Inspired by the classic Aussie pie they decide to revive this proud tradition from the archives of British culture.
- They set up a little bakery-shop in Stokes Croft, Bristol, working with second-hand industrial kitchens.
- Day one, doors open and a total of ten pies are sold (mostly to Tristan’s mum).
And there you have one Pieminister brand. Golden and delicious and ready to grow into a crowd favourite.
After their first few modest, early week, word began to spread!
Soon, these pie-oneers got a stall at London’s Borough Market and even served pies at Glastonbury, transforming Pieminister from a golden crusted pie-pe dream into a well-loved national brand.
Its what’s inside that counts!
These pies are full of more than just flavour. Their playful, friendly and inclusive personality packs a real punch throughout their brand identity. From the start, their menu has been broad, featuring pies that are meaty, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free, insuring that “everyone” can tuck in.
Pieminister’s playfulness is also clear through their products. Pie names, chef-creativity in flavour combinations, clever branding and a warm tone that says pies aren’t just a products. They’re a culture which emphasises “Live & Eat Pie” as more than a slogan. Highlighting their focus on joy, community and sharing.
As well as flavour and character, Pieminister also takes responsibility seriously. Over recent years they have formalised their ethical, environmental and social commitments under a framework called Pies, Planet, People, launched in 2020 with nine ambitious targets aiming to be fulfilled by 2025. These include sourcing with high animal welfare standards, using deforestation-free ingredients, eliminating waste to landfill, making packaging widely recyclable or compostable, reducing carbon emissions across all scopes and cultivating an inclusive workplace.
Their Chana Rama Pie, a vegan masala option, was recently introduced as their lowest-carbon pie ever. Showing how their environmental goals make no detriment to their flavour-innovation.
Pie-dentity to be proud of
Pieministers continue to share their culture of community and compassion through volunteering, charitable support and “little acts of pieness.” Giving employees a paid volunteering day every year to share this mission.
“Wonky” or excess pies are also put to good use, being donated to charities via FareShare South West. Since 2019 they have given more than 21 tonnes of pies, equating to tens of thousands of meals. Co-founder Tristan Hogg has really got into the spirit, wearing a pie costume for a charity abseil to raise funds for FareShare, demonstrating that the commitment is personal, public, creative and fun.
In addition to these efforts their “Eat Pies: Plant Trees” campaign works in partnership with Forestry England, using their plant-based pies to help fund tree planting in Kent, reflecting the impacts of customer choice.
Looking forward, Pieminister is setting its sights on further sustainability goals beyond 2025. Their roadmap includes achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040, expanding their non-beef and plant-based ranges, improving packaging and waste streams and continuing to grow their volunteering and social action efforts. Maintaining the balance between ethically responsible practices and joyfully delicious food remains central to who they are.
Created by Jessica Marwood.
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