Rob Kerr has become one of most popular traders at the monthly Causeway food market in Coleraine because of his unique range of handmade savoury pies under his quirky Pie in the Sky brand.

The speciality food market, organised by Causeway and Glens Council, has provided a platform for a host of innovative artisans.

He’s also to be found at Ballycastle market and at delis in many parts of the north west.

Rob’s original flavours that are increasingly popular with shoppers include macaroni cheese, vegan curry, steak and black pudding, a delicious lasagne in a pie, and a steak and haggis pie.

Originally from Scotland, Rob decided to start a small bakery when he couldn’t find the meat pies he wanted on moving to Londonderry.

“My wife, who is originally from the Derry region, had gained an important post here and so we decided to move to a new home outside the city,” Rob explains.

“It gave me an opportunity to develop a new career in own small business,” he adds.

He carried out some basic market research by visiting supermarkets, independent food retailers and delis around Londonderry and the wider north west.

placeholder image — Londonderry pie man Rob Kerr brought bakery experience from Scotland to the north west

This led him to pinpoint a gap in the market for hand crafted savoury pies.

He then set about making his own individual pies using the experience of his time in the bakery sector back in Scotland.

“The next stage was to start experimenting on distinctive recipes for the individual-sized pies that we had enjoyed in Scotland. I wanted a pie with a richly flavoured and quality filling within a light, flaky pastry,” he continues.

He was also keen to include as many fresh ingredients sourced from other smaller food producers in the north west as possible, launching successfully an initial range of pies in July 2019… and hasn’t looked back since then.

Rob also found a wealth of support and plenty of good advice in Londonderry from Foodovation and other artisan producers.