FEW things have better illustrated community spirit over the years than the Denby Dale pie.

The village has a tradition going back to the 18th century for celebrating major events by baking giant pies.

The villagers first turned their hands to this extraordinary feat in 1788, making the first of a series of pies to celebrate the recovery of King George III from illness.

In the centuries which followed, villagers baked monster pies to mark national occasions and to raise money for local charities.

Now the country’s most famous ‘giant pie village’ is to share its culinary secrets with the nation. The community, led by Denby Dale Yorkshire Pies, has made a replica of a four ton pie which was originally made in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.

The results will be seen on a Channel 5 TV programme next week reminding us all of the resourcefulness and village pride engendered over many years by baking what have, in their time, been Guinness Book of Records pies.

When it comes to getting a community to work and have fun together, the proof is obviously in the pudding or in this case, the pie.