Willy's Pies - Will Lewis
Say hi to Will of Willy's Pies - the lockdown-born culinary success story that has put pies firmly back on the map. The quintessentially British pies are handmade in Hackney (where else?), with a focus on elevated fillings using local ingredients, and lots of it. Drawing on a decade of experience as a top-line chef, Will’s furlough brain-child has since grown out of his home kitchen and into a commercial HQ in London Fields. With the help of his business-partner and best friend, Josh, Willy’s Pies has become a London food icon with the opening of their first retail location in Netil Market in 2023. Oh, and they’ve even caught the attention of Ian Wright, who is now on board as an investor to help push the business forward. For me, they’re a brand capturing the renewed spirit of local optimism. A business that embraces quality ingredients and quality time, products made and enjoyed by real people - who enjoy spending time together (watching the footy, cracking a few beers). What’s more, pies don’t have to be these shit, ultra-processed, factory-made monstrosities; they can be beautiful, delicious, well-designed, moments of indulgence, reminding people of what’s really important in life. In this episode, we talk about what makes the perfect pie, what they’re fighting against and their growth ambitions over the next decade. Tuck in.