Meet the makers of Mid Cheshire's award-winning pies

Owner John Solomon and maker of the perfect pies is now the proud winner of our latest Best of 2024 award – Mid Cheshire’s Best for Pies.

This year’s search for the area’s best in a whole host of categories started with hair and Fox Hairdressing was crowned our first winner.

Then we moved onto pies with customers and readers sending their nominations for their favourite pastry treats.

Voting for Mid Cheshire’s Best for Nails is currently taking place and we’re also looking for nominations in our latest search - Best for Roast Dinner.

Vote for Mid Cheshire’s Best for Nails 2024

Nominate your favourite for Mid Cheshire’s Best for Roast Dinner 2024

Ten tasty treats in Mid Cheshire made the shortlist for Best for Pies with JD’s Café in Winnington taking the coveted crown.

A tasty steak pie

Customers voted for JD’s Café online – on our website and across social media – and using the voting coupon printed inside the Northwich and Winsford Guardian and Knutsford Guardian, and owner John Solomon couldn’t be happier to take this year’s title.

John, who grew up in Barnton and now lives in Rudheath, opened the business at Unit 10, Winnington Warehouse, in 2010.

It’s a small family-run café with a warehouse selling household goods.

They offer a large selection of food with pies and roast dinners being the most popular and the breakfast mega box is a hit with families each weekend.

Pastries and pies are made fresh daily and promise to tickle the tastebuds of customers.

All pies are made fresh each day

There’s steak, minted lamb and cheese and onion as well hotpot, steak mince and onion and chicken, not forgetting the chicken tikka and meat and potato.

John also makes the pies extra large – family size – and has sweet offerings on the menu too – apple pies and cherry pies.

John, who is 67, decided to open JD’s as he wanted to be his own boss having worked in hotels as a chef in his younger days.

He went self-employed running the auction and now the award-winning café.

What do customers think about the pies at JD’s Café?

Put simply, one said: “These are the best pies I’ve ever had.”

A family sized pie

John, who took Mid Cheshire’s Best for Pies in 2022, said: “About 90 per cent of our menu is homemade, fresh produce.

“People come to the café because they like the atmosphere – there’s always great banter.

“Seeing people enjoy their food and returning time after time is great.

“I felt very proud that my pies had been recognised and we made the shortlist for this year’s Best for Pies award and I was over the moon to hear that we’d won.

“I would like to thank all of my customers for their votes and support not only over the last few days but since we opened in 2010.”