Wrexham AFC are aiming for football鈥檚 鈥渦pper crust鈥 thanks to their new Hollywood owners 鈥 and now they鈥檝e got a pie to match.
Two of the town鈥檚 food and drink industry titans have teamed up to create a steak and Wrexham Lager Pie that will be served up at the Racecourse to tantalise the taste buds of the faithful fans and away supporters on match days.
The historic brewery is supplying its 鈥渁mber nectar鈥 for the new pie that鈥檚 being made by the award-winning Jones Village Bakery just up the road in Minera.
The packaging is emblazoned with the logos of both companies and a red and white scarf as a nod to the football-mad town where they are both based.
The bakery, which dates back to 1934, is also proud of its local roots and pie room manager Kerry Wilson said that making the pie was his 鈥渄ream job鈥.
He said: 鈥淥ur original steak pie is a brilliant seller. It鈥檚 one of the best pies we鈥檝e ever made 鈥 and now we have made it even better.
鈥淲e always use the best ingredients and we鈥檝e adapted the recipe and added some Wrexham Lager to create a rich gravy to enhance the slow-cooked premium Welsh beef. It is incredibly moreish.鈥
The brewery is also an important part of Wrexham鈥檚 industrial heritage. It founded in 1882 by German immigrants Ivan Levinstein and Otto Isler who wanted to recreate the pilsner lager taste that they missed from home.
It was a major success story and was famously served on the Titanic during its ill-fated maiden voyage when it sank after hitting an iceberg.
The main brewery was demolished after production was halted at the site in 2000.
But the Wrexham Lager brand was resurrected 11 years later after former MP for Clwyd South Martyn Jones, who had previously worked as a microbiologist there, bought the rights for the famous beverage from Carlsberg for 拢1.
The connection with the Village Bakery stretches back to the childhood of Wrexham Lager director Mark Roberts.
He was raised in Bangor-on-Dee near Wrexham, the same village as the bakery鈥檚 managing director Robin Jones and his brother, Christien, the projects director.
Just like the Jones Village Bakery, the Wrexham Lager is now going from strength to strength, winning a raft of international awards 鈥 including the 鈥渦ltimate accolade鈥 of a gold medal at a top beer festival in Germany.
Mark Roberts said: 鈥淭he Wrexham Lager pie is about bringing two famous local names together to create something extra special.
鈥淚 must take my hat off to the Village Bakery because I鈥檝e tasted the new pie and it鈥檚 absolutely brilliant and I am sure it will be hugely popular.
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鈥淲rexham is really in the news for lots of reasons these days, not least because of the Hollywood stardust thanks to the new owners of Wrexham AFC, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
鈥淗opefully, we will see a big resurgence in the town, and possibly city status.
鈥淚 am proud that we are also flying the flag for Wrexham in conjunction with our friends from the Village Bakery.鈥
