Pieminister

A local, family business (both their sisters work for the business too), their ingredients are selected for their sustainability credentials, quality and taste. Pieminister provides a great-tasting product that is prepared in the company’s grade A BRC accredited, 30,000 sq ft central production facility in Bristol.

Every pie in Pieminister’s classic range is a Great Taste Award winner, including the legendary Moo (British beef steak & craft ale), Free Ranger (free range British chicken & ham with thyme) and Heidi (Somerset Goats’ cheese, sweet potato, spinach & red onion). There are more than a dozen classic pies now, including a growing number of plant-based recipes which are registered with the Vegan Society and carry the trusted Vegan trademark.


Additionally, the brand has a growing range of gluten free pies certified by Coeliac UK, which triumphed in the Great Taste and British Pie Awards, with judges remarking that Pieminister’s gluten free pastry was the best they’d ever tasted.

In 2019, Pieminister launched a range of patties; pocket-sized pastry snacks designed to be eaten on the go. Encased in a golden saffron pastry, the range of three includes two plant-based recipes.

As well as running 17 pie restaurants and cafes across the UK, Pieminister also supplies many of the UK’s finest pubs, food retailers and markets including a pie stall at London’s world-famous Borough Market.

In 2020, Pieminister’s focus turned to a series of ambitious sustainability goals to hit by 2025, covering three key areas: animal & ecological welfare, climate change & waste, and human welfare & wellbeing. They have been aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals; the UN’s blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

Franchise Opportunity

Today Pieminister is an omni-channel hospitality company turning over in excess of £16M and in excellent shape to pursue further growth in the market. On the back of the success achieved by its pie cafe and restaurant formats in both large cities and smaller market towns, Pieminister is targeting to achieve over 100 locations by 2030. There has never been a better time to join this fun, ethical and above all delicious brand in its exciting journey.

Because the product is made centrally, no restaurant skill is required at pie shop level, which ensures the franchise operation does not incur in high labour costs.

Pieminister provides a store model that has been tested by the franchisor in multiple locations across the U.K. Requiring no extraction, the model allows you to operate from as little as 500 sq ft, with low initial capital expenditure and ongoing operating expenses.

Training and Support provided

Together, Pieminister and its retained franchise consultant Seeds Consulting will assist prospective franchisees, sharing property contacts and their experience in location selection and lease acquisition. Franchisees will also benefit from a business plan template, and both parties will act as sounding board to ensure the plan is as accurate as possible based on their experience. Pieminister have arranged for their franchise to be accredited with high street banks, ensuring franchisee applications have a higher success rate and a fast turnaround.

Pieminister will design and project manage each franchise location internally, reducing reliance and extra costs in connection with external suppliers.

The initial support package extends to an eleven-day training programme at a Pieminister restaurant or café, and a five-day ‘on-the-job’ handover at the franchisee’s location.

Franchisees will also receive all business manuals and uniforms, as well as FREE pies to assist during the early stages.

Once the new store has commenced trading, Pieminister will visit regularly to ensure the business is operating to the highest standard and franchisees will benefit from their support team of operational and marketing support to help retrain if necessary.

The menu is rotated on a quarterly basis, with consistent research and innovation in the form of new pies, recipe and menu development.

Pieminister’s role will be to manage all the supply chain and supplier accounts to drive prices down for both product and services. Pieminister will also manage all national PR activity, social media channels and the Pieminister.co.uk website, all whilst providing support to any localised marketing and PR activity undertaken by its franchisees.

The ideal Pieminister franchisee

As a key component of its expansion strategy, Pieminister is looking for motivated partners who have the experience and resources to build the Pieminister brand across the UK.

With a successful model, Pieminister is set up for all types of entrepreneur: either an individual owner/operator or a territorial franchisee. A successful partner is someone who:

• Is eager to be involved with the Pieminister brand and products, and share love of Pieminister values.
• Is a natural, highly motivated leader who has experience of building and managing successful teams.
• Demonstrates solid operational experience (at least 5-10 years in the F&B industry), preferably in food franchising.
• Demonstrates success in business and has experience in the local area where they wish to open a store.
• Has liquid assets of at least £80,000 and can secure their own financing.

The Next Steps

If you want to learn more about this exciting opportunity, please click below: