Meet Littlehampton's award-winning pie-maker – and here's some of her delicious bakes you should try

Her great-grandfather started a bakery in 1960 which her grandad worked in and her dad still runs today. She grew up learning from them and baking cakes at home with her nan, before starting to work in the family bakery –C.L Pearce & Sons in Great Bookham, Surrey, when she was older.

Her catering and baking business was launched in 2018, after her husband told everyone in their local pub ‘my wife is amazing at cooking and baking’. It resulted in the landlord ordering pies to sell in the pub, and as word spread, more and more friends would ask Kayla to make things for them.

She now runs Kayla’s Kitchen from her kitchen in Wick, baking pies, sausage rolls, pastries, brownies, cookies, cakes and more for hungry residents across the area, as well as offering a catering service for parties and events in Sussex.

And if that wasn’t enough, she entered one of her pies for the 2023 British Pie Awards, and last month it was revealed it had won a silver medal.

Mike’s Pie – a delicious combination of steak and stilton and named after her husband’s friend who loves it – came second in what the judges said was the ‘highly competitive hot eating savoury pie’ category.

Kayla, 32, said: “When I realised I’d got the silver, I was shocked.

"I know my pies are good, but to enter something so big with so many larger companies it’s a bit overwhelming. I had to double check the list!”

Another of Kayla’s pies, Laura’s pie – a mix of chicken, leek and ham, won a bronze award in the 2021 competition.

People can order Kayla’s bakes via her Facebook or Instagram page, or by texting her on 07961299844 or emailing [email protected]

You can also find her products in her local post office, as well as AJ’s Gym, Felpham post office’s pop-up shop and Arundel’s monthly food market.

She also does catering for Reynold’s funeral directors in Bognor Regis as well as for private events.

I was lucky enough to be able to try some of Kayla’s food, and I wasn’t disappointed. Not only has she mastered the art of pie-making, her other savoury products were a delight. There’s something so nice and wholesome about eating home-made goodies.

As well as the obvious award-winning pie, which was crammed full of tender steak and zingy stilton, I can highly recommend the cheese and Marmite sausage roll and cheese, spinach, tomato and onion quiche.

As for the host of sweet treats, the Reece’s brownie was insane, and the white chocolate and raspberry scone was a nice change to the usual scones filled with currants.

And let’s not even mention how quickly I polished off a chocolate and Biscoff choux bun for lunch today.

I just wish every lunch could be filled with such a delicious selection of treats!