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Alexandre Hancox opened up a pie shop in Gilfach in July 2020 – a time when the coronavirus pandemic had Wales gripped with uncertainty and caution.

Before opening Hancox’s Pies, Alexandre, now 42, had been making and selling pies from home – inspired by the recipes of his Portuguese mother.

But with demand for his pies growing during lockdown, Alexandre decided to open up a shop.

Nearly two years later, Hancox’s Pies has been crowned the Sole Trader of the Year at the FSB Wales Small Business Awards 2022.

The awards ceremony was held at the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay on Friday, April 8.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, Alexandre said: “It was a shock to me. I wasn’t expecting it – I’m chuffed.

“I’m very proud – the team work really hard.”

Since opening during the pandemic, the business has gone from strength to strength, with four employees now working alongside Alexandre.

He said: “We started off with just a counter and now we have a sitting area. We’ve gone from a little pie shop to a cafe.

“We’ve grown so much beyond my expectations.”

He continued: “At first we mainly did pies and Portuguese custard tarts – now we have 300 different products and are supplying wedding and funeral buffets.”

Running his own pie shop has been a lifelong dream for Alexandre.

Born and raised in Evora, Portugal, he moved to Caerphilly aged 21 to study, achieving degrees in both Business Management and Hospitality and Catering.

Before Covid, Alexandre spent nine years working at electronics store Currys, where he was a manager in Cwmbran for six years before leaving to achieve his culinary ambitions.

In doing so, he follows in the footsteps of his mother – who began selling pies to the community in Evora back in 1975.

Caerphilly Senedd Member Hefin David, who cut the ribbon at the shop’s opening back in 2020, said: “The award is very well deserved and is a wonderful achievement, particularly for a business who first opened during the early pandemic.

“The shop is a credit to Gilfach and I’m really pleased to see their success. I’m looking forward to the next time I can pop in for a pie.”

Ben Francis, Chair of the FSB Wales Policy Unit, said: “Celebrating the achievements of small businesses is more important than ever before, after a particularly challenging few years.

“The Celebrating Small Business awards offer a chance to recognise the strides small businesses have taken and really showcase the fantastic talent and innovation that is alive and well in Wales today.”