Pie-lovers mourn death of a legend

PIE-LOVERS are mourning the loss of Bessie Ardern, the founder of Warrington’s world-famous Arden’s pies.
Bessie, whose grand-daughter Joanne still runs the Willis Street based bakery with her husband John Hull, passed away quietly in her sleep aged 101.
She started the business in 1932, supported by her late husband Jack Wood, converting a terraced property in Willis Street during an era when being a business woman with your own shop was relatively unheard of.
In the 1980’s Bessie passed the bakery over to her son Geoff Wood but still played a major part in the business, getting up at 4am to turn on the ovens.
It was only in her 90’s that she was forced to give up her role due to failing eyesight. In 2001 the bakery was passed to Joanne.
Bessie was solely responsible for creating the famous meat and potato pies and the recipe is still exactly the way she would have liked it.
Joanne said: “My grand-mother was a unique woman and we are sure she would be delighted to know that so many people still love her pies.We are all extremely proud of what she has achieved.”
In recent years the business has expanded with outlets around the town – but the pies are still baked where it all began in Willis Street.
Popularity of the pies remains so strong that when ex-pats revisit the town one of the first things they do is take a trip down memory lane to sample one of Bessie’s legnedary meat and potato pies.