Carlisle’s Pie Demand will be serving chorizo sausage rolls on TransPennine Express’ trains after the success of its previous collaboration.
Since the train operator launched TransPennine Kitchen: West Coast last year, Pie Demand has sold over 7,495 caramelised onion sausage rolls across the route
The firm has now launched its spring/summer menu on the route between and it sees the introduction of the chorizo sausage rolls.
Pie Demand was launched by Laura and Brian Twigg six years ago and is based at Carlisle Railway Station.
Delicious smells from their traditional home made pies and sausage rolls wafting around the station may in fact, have been the catalyst for the contract with leading train operator TransPennine when an employee found himself visiting them for his lunch.
The TransPennine executive was so impressed that word on Pie Demand was passed through to the railway firm’s catering team.
Following this chance encounter Laura said it was a pleasant surprise when they received an enquiry from TransPennine.
“We sat in our office and we had the train station manager knock on the door, and he said we have the TransPennine people here, would you be happy to meet them and we said ‘absolutely’.
“We ended up doing an impromptu site tour and explained our story and showed them what the products were that we were making, and gave them to sample and then we had an email the following week saying we want your products and can you supply us. It was all very exciting.”
Pie Demand has two units underneath Carlisle Railway Station, and it hosts a pop-up shop on the platform four days a week. The firm is often at farmers markets and food festivals – but customers have to be quick as they normally sell out rapidly.
Laura said: “Pie Demand is thrilled to feature on the West Cost Kitchen spring/summer menu, and we hope customers travelling with TransPennine Express love our chorizo sausage rolls.”
