A baker specialising in pies is to open officially today.

The Pie Factory, which was based in Pembroke for nearly 20 years, now operates from a new premises, complete with a store and restaurant, in Hamilton’s Parliament Street.

And owner Sonia Furbert said the fresh start allowed the firm to expand on its original menu of savoury meat and vegetable pies.

She added: “We are thrilled to welcome both original and new patrons to the Pie Factory family and to be able to expand the menu we offer.

“When reopening the storefront, we recognised a need to make the Pie Factory accessible to everyone.”

The new-look establishment also boasts its own app, where customers can place orders, view menus and earn loyalty points.

The new offerings include a Caribbean food court, headed by well-known chef Jerome Thomas and desserts crafted by her daughter, a trained pastry chef.

The shop, which features seating, also offers a new “build your own burger” service, featuring home made hamburgers has also been introduced.

Ms Furbert said: “I must give special thanks to my parents. who will honour me and this milestone by cutting the ribbon tomorrow.”

The Pie Factory opened in 1995 and was based in Berkeley Avenue until it was forced to relocate to Roberts Avenue to allow construction of the new Berkeley Institute.

The company was based there until 2008, but closed for several years after Ms Furbert decided to relocate to Atlanta.

But the Pie Factory was reborn a year ago when she decided to reopen, although she continued to work at an insurance company until last June, when demand for her products forced her to devote herself the business full-time.

Ms Furbert said that changing tastes in food had not affected the public appetite for traditional pies.

She added: “We have a niche in the market and our customers always look for us.”

She added: “It’s been extremely busy — we planned a soft opening, we just opened up but we were bombarded for six months. I had to leave my job and come here full-time.”

Ms Furbert, 53, said her skills in baking were honed at her mother’s restaurant, Mama Angie’s in St George’s, where she started to help out making pies after school aged just 14.

The daylong event begins at 11am with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and will be followed by raffle draws, giveaways and prizes.

For more information, follow the Pie Factory on Facebook and Instagram