Holland's Pies

Holland's Pies: a Lancashire bakery with more than 170 years of pie-making

Holland's Pies is a British bakery that traces its origins to a confectionery shop opened by John Whittaker in Haslingden, Lancashire, in 1851. The business later took the Holland name and has remained associated with pies and puddings. Its bakery has been based in Baxenden since 1929, when the company converted a disused cotton mill and replaced the looms with ovens. The site is still the company's home, from which it serves homes and businesses across the UK.

The company describes its recipes as a well-kept secret passed down through generations, and it emphasises traditional cooking methods and a specially blended pastry. Over time it has moved from bread and cakes to a focus on pies and puddings, and it now sells through chip shops, supermarkets and trade customers.

From a family shop to a national supplier

The timeline published by the company records several milestones. Richard Holland joined the business as an apprentice in 1866 and married John Whittaker's stepdaughter, Sarah, in 1869; the bakery was renamed Holland's as Whittaker retired. In 1900 the business moved to John Street in Haslingden, and in 1907 it began daily deliveries with a horse and cart, a practice it calls 'The Pie Round'. A delivery van followed in 1927, and by 1938 the fleet had reached 20 vans serving customers and chip shops across the north.

During the Second World War, production continued with a largely female workforce and air-raid shelters in the bake house; cake production stopped because of rationing, but pies remained. In 1945 the company was sold to R.Gummer Ltd., a London-based provisions company, and in 1972 it was bought by Pork Farms, which introduced foil containers and automated machinery. The frozen pie range was launched in 1981, followed by the chilled 'Fresh Wrapped' range in 1990. In 2009 the company launched its Best Ever Pies & Puds range and its first online shop, offering next-day delivery within the UK mainland.

Products and ranges

The website organises its offer into several ranges: Chippy, Frozen, Supermarket Chilled, Supermarket Vegetarian and Stadia. The Chippy range reflects the company's long relationship with chip shops, which dates back to deliveries in the 1930s and was later supported by a 'key system' that allowed drivers to deliver before shops opened. The frozen range, first launched in 1981, is sold through grocers and supermarket chains. The chilled range appears in supermarket chilled cabinets. The vegetarian range was expanded in 2019 with three new flavours: Wyke Farms Mature Cheddar Cheese & Onion Pie, Vegetarian Mince & Gravy Pie and Cheese & Veg Pie. The Stadia range refers to the company's presence at football grounds, which began in 1995 at clubs including West Bromwich Albion.

Holland's has also produced limited-edition products, such as a Christmas Pie launched in 2018, and a pie, pudding and pastry-topped pie range created with GUINNESS® in 2013. In 2011, for its 160th anniversary, it created a giant pie exhibited at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.

Trade and direct sales

The website includes a Trade section alongside its consumer ranges, indicating that it serves businesses as well as households. The online shop, launched in 2009, delivers pies and puddings to addresses in the UK mainland with next-day delivery. The company also runs promotional campaigns, including Hunger Busters in 2017 and the Vanoke campaign, and in 2018 it sought five Pie Factor judges for a Pie Panel to review new products.

Bakery and community base

The Baxenden bakery remains the company's operational heart. Holland's states that it has grown its northern base to serve homes and businesses across the UK and refers to its customers and partners as its 'Holland's family'. The company also notes that its traditional values and pie recipes have remained in place throughout its history.