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
Melton Mowbray which is a tight-woven woollen cloth that is heavily milled, and a nap raised so as to form a short, dense, non-lustrous pile. Sailors' pea coats are traditionally made of Melton cloth, as are the universal workmans' donkey jackets of Britain and Ireland, and in North America, loggers' "cruising jackets" and Mackinaws. Melton shares a member of parliament (currently Alan Duncan from the Conservatives) with Rutland, which together form the appropriately named "Rutland and Melton" parliamentary constituency. Melton Mowbray is home to a rare example of early town government. The Melton Mowbray Town Estate was founded at the time of