A cherished Cheshire tradition packed with quirky competition, family fun and community spirit is set to return as the annual Wybunbury Fig Pie Wakes rolls back into the village.

The 31st annual Wybunbury Fig Pie Wakes will take place on Saturday 6 June in the picturesque village of Wybunbury, near Nantwich, with organisers promising another lively day of entertainment for all ages.

The popular event, organised primarily by the Wybunbury Tower Preservation Trust, opens at 1pm and centres around the famous Fig Pie Race, a tradition dating back more than 200 years.

Competitors will once again gather on Main Road outside The Swan Inn to roll their homemade fig pies down the hill in a bid to claim the coveted "Champion Pie-Roller" title for 2026.

The participant whose pie travels the furthest will lift the trophy and earn local bragging rights in one of Cheshire's most unusual and entertaining contests.

The popular event, organised primarily by the Wybunbury Tower Preservation Trust, opens at 1pm and centres around the famous Fig Pie Race (Photo: Jonathan White).

Villagers still make their own fig pies using a unique traditional recipe which has been carefully preserved through generations.

Recipes, entry forms and ingredients are available from Wybunbury Post Office, costing £5 before the event or £6 on the day.

advertisement

But there is far more to the Wakes than pie rolling alone.

Visitors can enjoy tower tours, a grand raffle, live entertainment, craft stalls, steam engines, classic cars, outdoor bars and refreshments throughout the afternoon, with proceeds from several stalls supporting local charities and village groups.

The Wakes trace their origins back to the patronal festival of St Chad and were once a major village celebration lasting several days. Historic records from 1819 describe races held over three days and even a "Smoaking Race" with tobacco as the prize.

Although the original celebrations faded away by the 1920s, the tradition was revived in 1995 after members of the Wybunbury Tower Preservation Trust uncovered old documents recounting the colourful — and sometimes rowdy — history of the Wakes.

The revival proved hugely popular, helped by the village's oldest resident at the time, who could still remember the original Fig Pie Wakes and shared the treasured pie recipe used today.

Now firmly established as one of the area's most distinctive community events, the Wybunbury Fig Pie Wakes continues to attract visitors from across Cheshire and beyond each summer.

Sponsors supporting this year's event include Massey Feeds, T-T Pumps, Splash Of Paint, Davies Osteopaths and Cheshire Lamont.

Further information can be found via the event Facebook page: Wybunbury Fig Pie Wakes Facebook page.

advertisement

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Nantwich Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

Please consider following Nantwich Nub News on Facebook.