Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has launched Uncle Wrighty’s, a foodservice and direct-to-consumer pie brand.
It has debuted with a limited-edition Roast Chicken, Sage & Onion pie in two sizes.
The premium pie is made in collaboration with London pie delivery service and wholesaler Willy’s Pies.
Founded by Will Lewis and Josh Hill, Willy’s Pies began delivering its goods during the first national Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
The business had “really grown since then”, said Wright, who became a Willy’s investor in 2021.
“I invested not only because the pies taste amazing, but I invested in Will and Josh, what they wanted to do and how determined they were,” the TV football pundit told The Grocer.
His spin-off brand Uncle Wrighty’s sought to embody “good food and enjoyment, and what that brings”, he added.
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“I’ve always thought I’d love to [launch a food brand], because going back to when I was younger, we didn’t eat around the table.
“As life goes on, I love eating good food with good people.”
The decision to debut with the Roast Chicken, Sage & Onion pie was “an easy one”, said Wright, because he regularly enjoyed a Sunday roast with friends and family.
The NPD is available to order in from the Willy’s Pies outlet in Netil Market, Hackney, as well as via the business’s website. It comes as a 200g handheld pie (£7) and a 500g sharer (£11.50).
It will also be on the menu at Notting Hill’s farm-to-fork restaurant The Shed.
Wright, who earned 33 caps for England, hoped to roll out Uncle Wrighty’s nationally and into grocery “at some stage”, he added.
“We would love to… because I want as many people as possible to see these pies – not just for me, but for the amount of work that has gone into them from Will and Josh.”
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