Pork pie aristocratic visitors carry lumps of pie with them on horseback". The main distinctive feature of a Melton pie is that it is made with a hand-formed crust. The uncured meat of a Melton pie is grey in colour when cooked; the meat is chopped, rather than minced. As the pies are baked free-standing, the sides bow outwards, rather than being vertical as with mould-baked pies. In light of the premium price of the Melton Mowbray pie, the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association applied for protection under European Protected designation of origin laws as a result of the increasing production of
Borough of Melton small villages within the surrounding rural area and the area of the Borough is 48,138ha. The population of the Borough at 2011 was 50,376 (2011 Census) and the population is predicted to grow to 53,600 by 2021 It was formed in 1974, from the Melton Mowbray Urban District and the Melton and Belvoir Rural District. The council offices on "Nottingham Road" burnt down on 30 May 2008. Across the road were situated the main offices of the East Midlands Regional Assembly before it was abolished in 2010. The borough is the home of Stilton Cheese and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies.