Two Days in Melton Mowbray, Melton Mowbray, England (B)

I went to Melton Mowbray as an extension of my weekend in Stamford as a friend lives there and it seemed an ideal chance to see her, for it was only a 35/40 minute drive away. However, if you talk about Melton Mowbray to anyone in UK, they will immediately think – pork pies! In fact, the thought extended to Spain on Sunday evening when messaging my good friend Linda there, and her husband George wanted to know if I’d had pork pie for supper. Can there be any Brit who hasn’t heard of Melton Mowbray’s pork pies?!

Melton lies on the River Eye and has a population of about 30,000. The name comes from an early English word ‘Medeltone’ meaning ‘middle town surrounded by small hamlets’ and Mowbray is a Norman family name. There’s evidence of settlements going back to the Romans and Anglo-Saxons. After the Norman Conquest the 1086 Domesday Book describes Melton Mowbray as a thriving town with 200 inhabitants and weekly markets. The markets still thrive today and there is even a livestock market held every Tuesday; there’s a food market in the Market Square on Tuesdays; the East Midlands Food Festival every October, showcasing not only the famous pies but also the many great cheeses you will find in the area; and in December there’s a 3-day Victorian Christmas Fayre. This makes Melton Mowbray a great foodie destination. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).