Harborough butcher receives praise from the Queen - and can now add the royal family to his ever-growing list of customers

A top Market Harborough butcher helped to make Christmas especially mouthwatering for the Queen – after sending her six world-famous Melton Mowbray pork pies.

Kris Moore, 38, was thrilled to be picked out for the huge honour of supplying Her Majesty with her traditional much-loved festive treat of delicious two pounder pork pies.

The popular local butcher has now received a heartfelt letter from the Queen thanking him for his home-made produce – which has put many a smile on contented customers’ faces across Harborough for years.

And former soldier Kris, who lives in Braybrooke, has now topped his gift to the Queen by despatching six more tasty two pound Melton Mowbray pork pies to her eldest son Prince Charles.

“As a massive royalist and supporter of the Royal Family it doesn’t get any bigger than this!

“We are just delighted to have been able to send the Queen our brilliant pork pies because we know how much she loves them,” Kris told the Harborough Mail.

“You never know, maybe even her beloved corgi dogs got some of the jelly.

“We packed them off to the Queen at Windsor Castle along with a Christmas card wishing her a very happy Christmas.

“It’s a fantastic honour and a real feather in our caps to know that she appreciates our pies so much,” said the beaming dad-of-three.

“It makes me smile to think of Her Majesty sitting there relaxing and maybe watching one of her favourite TV programmes while tucking into one of our mighty pies.

“We are proud to belong to the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, set up to protect the history and integrity of these unique pies.

“And as accredited members we are on a rota with them to supply the Royal household by strict Royal Appointment.

“It was lovely to receive the letter back thanking us for our pies on behalf of the Queen – we were not expecting that to be honest.

“We have now just sent off six more pork pies to Prince Charles at his home at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

“The Prince of Wales actually popped in to see us in the shop here a few years ago – so we know for a fact that he loves his pies too,” said Kris, who bought the butcher’s almost 12 years ago after serving seven years as a junior commander in the Royal Anglian Regiment’s Second Battalion.

“Our business has been here in Market Harborough since 1979.

“We have built up a big loyal army of customers over the last 40 years – and they have stood by us through the lockdowns over the last year or so.

“We’ve continued to open here serving people for five days a week from Tuesday to Saturday all the way through the pandemic.

“Our suppliers are all English, so that’s worked out fine.

“We are just pleased to have been able to operate week in week out to help feed and support the people of Market Harborough and beyond,” said Kris, who has a five-strong team – and three daughters at home.

Thanking Kris on behalf of the Queen, Royal Chef Mark Flanagan tells him in his letter from Buckingham Palace: “Her Majesty The Queen has asked me to write to thank you for the very kind gift of Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and the accompanying letter that you sent to Windsor Castle for Christmas.

“It was most thoughtful of you, especially in this most trying of years.

“May I also wish you and all of your team every success for this coming year.”

Suitably impressed Harborough MP Neil O’Brien tweeted: “Taking a break from the global chaos - nice to see this recognition from the Queen for top local pies.”

And Harborough Market tweeted: “What a wonderful honour & recognition for our fantastic butcher Kris Moore - owner of John Ross and Son at #Harborough Market.

“The finest pork selected, & prepared by his team, then crafted into his homemade pork pies for the Royal Households