Aberdeen are the first Scottish football club to trademark the humble half-time pie.
Aberdeen Football Club has applied to London’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to trademark the name Pittodrie Pie.
The popular pastries, provided by local baker Thain’s, fly off the stalls at Pittodrie with up to 12,000 being sold during capacity matches.
The Dons made moves to protect the brand following rumours that a previous supplier was trying to do the same.
A club spokesman said: “We changed supplier in the summer and the previous supplier were about to register the Pittodrie Pie so it was just to protect ourselves.
“As we saw with the Kilmarnock Pie, they faced losing the rights to the Killie Pie because the company that supplied it sought the trademark.
“I wouldn’t have thought everybody has a pie at a game but some of them would have two.
“The club expect to sell between 11,000 and 12,000 pies at a game when we have an 18,000 crowd – such as against Celtic.
“We try to minimise wastage wherever possible and try to make sure we don’t run out of stock.”
If the club succeeds in its bid, it would be able to continue using the name Pittodrie Pie even if the supplier changed in future.
Thain’s boss Murdoch Allan, who has supported the Dons since he was a boy, said: “I think it’s a good idea by the club – they need to protect their intellectual property.”
The application, which appeared in the latest Trademark Journal, covers pies, bridies, pizzas, relishes and even cakes.
The IPO said there were two months to object after initial examinations.
Earlier this year Brownings the Bakers, makers of the Killie Pie, claimed they had sole use of the name.
Kilmarnock FC challenged the Ayrshire firm because it already had a prior claim, having trademarked “Killie” for club merchandise in 1998.
Brownings has now renamed their snacks Kilmarnock Pies.
