Pieminister, Manchester

What's the big deal with Pieminister? Am I alone in failing to see the attraction? As far as I can tell they seem to garner almost universal acclaim for what are some pretty average pies and some pretty good marketing.

I've eaten them at festivals before and not been impressed, but when I spotted the branch that's opened in Manchester I'd thought I'd give them another try.

Sadly my opinion hasn't changed. The moo pie (beef, pepper and ale) was just alright. The pastry, curiously limp and tasteless, seemed to have been made with durability in mind rather than flavour or texture. Anyone ever had an Aussie garage pie? A bit like that.

The filling was better, but still unremarkable. On the plus side there were large pieces of beef bound in a dark, marmitey gravy but on the down side there were only three of them and they were a bit chewy. Mushy peas were proper mushy peas but there weren't enough of them. The gravy was nice enough.

Still don't get it. You can easily find better in any number of pubs, bakeries and butchers. Six quid (I think, unless it was seven?) for pie, peas and gravy.

5/10

53 Church Street
Manchester
M4 1PD

http://www.pieminister.co.uk/eat-at/shops/

The Rutland Arms, Sheffield

This is going to be a very brief post, for the simple reason that it's boiling hot and I can't really be bothered. The sooner I finish the sooner I can return to lolling around drinking ice cold stubbies of cheap French lager with my tongue hanging out like an overheated labrador. Just the latter bit like a labrador by the way, you shouldn't give your dog lager, not even in this weather.

Anyhow I'm just about bothering because I've been meaning to rave about the Rutland Arms for a while now. It's a rare gem of a pub, a pleasing mish-mash of traditional and modern melded together to form something a bit special. Old school pub decor and layout, beer choices to keep both the trad cask crowd and craft nerds happy, a mixed clientele and a lively atmosphere.

The food is an interesting proposition too, managing to do classic pub grub alongside something a bit different but with absolutely no nods to current fads or fashions. There are pies, sausages and carb-fest booze soaking chip butties in various guises, but also keenly priced and creative sounding vegetarian and fish dishes that pop up on the specials boards. Salads that sound worth the effort too, now that the heat is upon us.

I was last there a couple of weeks ago when it was still a bit fresh out, so I had the pie; chicken, mushroom and stilton. I'll excuse the china bowl with a pastry lid format, 'cos it was very nice. Lovely crumbly pastry and a soupy, cheesy filling rammed full of actual proper chicken pieces, you know like thigh meat and stuff. Great work. Nice chips too, but the veg was a bit pointless.

About seven quid for the pie, and good beer at normal pub prices. A damn fine pub this, you really should go. I've only been in chilly weather, but I'm pretty sure there's a beer garden.

9/10 for the pub, and what the hell let's call it an 8/10 for the food.

Rutland Arms
86 Brown Street
Sheffield
S1 2BS

http://www.rutlandarmspeople.co.uk

Costello's Bakery, Headingley, Leeds

Someone on Twitter suggested Costello's to me as somewhere I might find a good cake. I didn't find a good cake there, but I did find a very good lunch deal so thank you very much whoever you are.

It was a little incongruous sat eating this on a warm sun dappled afternoon, it's probably more one for the dismal winter months, but who am I to turn down pie, mash, gravy and a drink for £3.50? I got the choice of ordinary or special mash, special being ordinary with added leeks and bacon. Entirely predictably I chose the special.

I enjoyed the pie, a sturdy affair of short pastry and tender, stewed beef. The mash and gravy weren't half bad either and there was bloody loads of it. Give it three months until there's a nip in the air then get yourself down there. In the meantime the sandwiches looked good too.

7/10

61 Otley Road
Headingley
LS6 3AB

http://www.costellosbakery.com/

Holland's Pies

FREEBIE ALERT

There's not much need for the freebie alert this time, as I'm not going to say anything very complimentary.

Holland's offered to send me a bag full of pies to review. Yes, yes I know they're hardly a gourmet brand. I know they sell them in supermarkets and they're probably cheap and nasty and horrid and full of unpleasant ingredients (to be fair, their website suggests otherwise. Make of that what you will). But really, who cares? Free pies right? I love pies.

From time to time I love a bargain basement pie too. A posh pie isn't always what you need. I used to have a borderline addiction to Gregg's for starters, and you can't beat a chicken balti pie at the football. The gist of it was this: was there any chance of me turning down a bag full of free pies that might just turn out to be nice? No.

Steak pie first. This was ok. The 'unique, golden shortcrust pastry' didn't seem particularly unique to me. It was thin but rather solid and tasteless. Not unpleasant it just passed me by without leaving much of an impression. You'll find the same stuff encasing all of the pies in the range.

The filling wasn't bad. There were a few good chunks of tender-ish meat (more than you'll find in a Greggs steak bake by way of comparison) in a fairly tasty but overly gloopy (too much flour at a guess) gravy. I ate it with mushy peas from a tin which were delicious of course.

 
A day or two later I ate the vegetarian joker in the pack, the cheese and onion pie. I really didn't like this one. The filling wasn't anywhere near cheesy enough, like they'd made a cheese sauce with a cornflour and margarine base and not very much mild cheddar. It left a weird coating on my teeth, as if I'd been slurping wallpaper paste through a straw. Not good. Horrid really.

The meat pie was better, more like a pork pie in style this one. The filling was of solid meat, pork and beef apparently, which had quite a pleasing slightly coarse texture. It tasted ok, but primarily of salt and pepper. I tried to ignore the scary quantity of fat that leached out of it during cooking though. Better on the baking tray than inside me I suppose.

In summary, I've eaten worse. I didn't get round to trying several others, which can now be found languishing in the depths of my freezer. I doubt they'll see the light of day unless I'm desperate and hungover.


http://www.hollandspies.co.uk/

Tamper Coffee, Sheffield

Good pies and even better coffee. Antipodean heaven. That's what you'll find at Sheffield's Kiwi-run Tamper Coffee. You'll also find sandwiches, cakes and lovely service. I went here for lunch today and was impressed.

The flat white was pretty though not the prettiest I've seen, but tasted divine. A really rich coffee blend, not at all bitter, perfectly made so it was silkily smooth. An absolute delight. I could drink these all day.

I had to have a pie. Sadly there were no steak and cheese left. Anyone who's been to New Zealand or Australia will be aware of the regard in which pies are held in those nations (what with the pies and rugby and beer, both are rather like a sunnier Wigan), and to my mind the steak and cheese is king. I was so looking forward to eating one here, but had to settle for steak alone.

No matter, it was a lovely pie. Quite a flakey crust, not too dense, and chock full of chunks of tender beef bound in just the right amount of gravy. The little pot of crunchy, light coleslaw on the side was a nice touch too.

I also tried some of the brie and cranberry sandwich, and that was spot on as well. I was waffling on the other week about how genuinely good bread could elevate a sandwich from good to great. This was the case here, decent fillings and bread cut from an organic loaf with a lovely open crumb and chewy crust. The bread was advertised as being from the Cat Lane Bakery, definitely one warranting further investigation.

Excellent food and drink, and as I mentioned at the start friendly service from the guy in charge, who was enthusiastic and welcoming. Prices are fair at £2-2.50 for most coffees and £3-3.80 for sandwiches, although perhaps a little toppy for the pies at £3.60. That's a very minor quibble though, as they're certainly high quality. A great little place.

9/10

9 Westfield Terrace
Sheffield
S1 4GH

http://www.wix.com/tampercoffee/nz

Shepherd's Pie

This is a fantastic Shepherd's pie. It takes a bit of time and effort but the results are worth it. Instead of mince it uses roughly shredded meat from a lamb shoulder cooked on the bone. The shoulder is marinated in garlic, rosemary and thyme then cooked in a casserole on top of a sauce of onions, wine and tomatoes. It's a win-win situation, the juices from the meat flavour the sauce and the sauce keeps the meat moist and tender. The meat is then pulled from the bones and added to the sauce and the whole lot is crowned with mash.

Think rich, succulent herby shreds of meat topped with fluffy, buttery potatoes and doused in smooth, savoury gravy. Wonderful.

This recipe should serve four, or three comfortably, or two proper fatties. It takes over three hours to cook but you won't be actually doing anything for much more than forty minutes of that.

What you'll need:

750g lamb shoulder
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 large glass red wine (about 200ml)
1 large glass water (about 200ml)
1 stock cube
1tbsp plain flour
loads of butter
fresh rosemary and thyme
freshly ground salt and pepper
Worcestershire sauce
olive oil
a big handful of mushrooms

What to do:

1. First prepare the marinade for the meat. Roughly chop about 1tbsp of fresh rosemary and about half a tbsp of fresh thyme. Peel and roughly chop 3 cloves of garlic.

2. Place the garlic and herbs in a mortar with about 1 tbsp of butter, a splash of olive oil and a generous grind of salt and pepper. Give it a good pounding with the pestle to mix everything together and release the oils from the herbs and garlic.

3. Stab the meat a few times with a knife to allow the marinade to get inside, then smear it all over the meat. Ideally you'd do this the day before, in practice I did it immediately prior to cooking it.

4. Chop the onion and then put it in a heavy bottomed casserole (the type with a lid that you can put on the hob) on a moderate heat with a generous splash of olive oil. Let the onion sweat without colouring for around 10 minutes. Open the wine and set the oven to 175 degrees C.

5. When the onions are soft throw in a level tbsp of flour, stir and fry for a minute or so.

6. Slowly pour in a large glass of red wine and bring to the boil, stirring constantly as it bubbles and thickens.

7. Pour in a glass-worth of boiling water and keep stirring. Crumble in the stock cube, empty in the tin of tomatoes, stir and simmer for a couple of minutes. It should have the consistency of a thin gravy.

8. Put the meat on top of the onion sauce mixture, put the lid on the pot and place it in the oven. Leave it alone for an hour.

9. After an hour has passed chop a big handful of mushrooms then remove the pot from the oven. Taste the sauce and add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and more salt and pepper if it needs it. Throw in the mushrooms then return to the oven for another hour.

10. Halfway through the second hour peel and chop the potatoes, then put them on to boil in a large pan. When they are done drain them, then mash with a splash of milk and loads of butter.

11. After the second hour has passed remove the pot from the oven, take out the meat and set it to one side to rest for a few minutes. Adjust the seasoning in the sauce, then strain off about half of the remaining liquid from the pot to use as gravy, leaving behind all of the solids and enough liquid to make a thick sauce.

12. Shred the meat from the bones using a knife and fork, then shred it a little bit more using two forks. Place the meat in the bottom of your pie dish.

13. Pour over the remaining sauce mixture, then cover with the mashed potatoes. Scuff up the mash with a fork so that you'll get a nice crispy finish. You could add cheese but I don't think it needs it, the lamb is rich and fatty enough and if you've made the mash properly it's full of butter anyway.

14. Put the pie in the oven and bake at the same temperature (175 degrees C) for around 40-45 minutes.

15. Serve immediately with peas or greens, the rest of the gravy and the rest of the wine.

Wilson's Pie Van, Leeds

There's been a worrying development at work. Every day as noon approaches, a jingle plays, the pie van is nigh. Liberally stocked with all manner of pastry-based treats and assorted condiments, it entices me down the stairs and out the door. As winter arrives it'll be hard to resist. Mmmmm pie. Lovely warm, comforting pie and peas? Oh go on then.

Fortunately for my waistline they also stock a range of salads and sandwiches, and I'm usually only in the office a couple of days a week. Panic over. Not that I've got round to trying the salads yet, but the sandwiches are great. Think large soft granary rolls, packed with good quality ham, sliced eggs and salad.

More photogenic meals are available, but none so green

Today I went for the classic, pie and peas. A generous slick of sloppy peas and a hot Wilson's pork pie for a perfectly reasonable £2.10. Nice, though I actually prefer pork pies cold or slightly warm rather than heated up.

I used to wish the pie van would visit my office, and now it does. Lucky me.

8/10 for the sandwiches
7/10 for the pie and peas

Wilson's Pie Van
Loitering outside your office and making you fat


http://www.wilsonspies.co.uk/WilsonsPiesVan/

The Sunshine Bakery, Leeds

So far I've eaten four different things from the Sunshine Bakery, and every one of them has been excellent.

 

Their black pudding sausage rolls are officially my second favourite sausage rolls ever (just pipped at the post by the porcine glory that is the Ginger Pig sausage roll). The pastry is lardy yet crisp and light, the sausage filling is porky, generous and well seasoned, with added iron-y depth from the black pudding.  Very good indeed, and good value for the quality at £2 a pop. Lardy in this context is a compliment by the way, in case anyone was wondering.

 

Cupcakes. First a confession. Cupcakes aren't really my favourite thing. It's not that I don't enjoy eating them, they're just a bit showy and American for my tastes. The focus is often on how they look and how much icing can be shoehorned on top of the cake, which itself is sometimes little more than an afterthought. I like to think of them as over-iced buns.

This was a damn fine cupcake though. Peanut butter flavour, with a whipped icing that was salty but barely sweet at all. The cake beneath was dense, moist and very chocolatey. Pretty as you'd expect from a cupcake, but backed up by really delicious and interesting flavours. £1.50 each.

 

Sandwiches are available too, today I opted for a pastrami and salad sandwich on basil, olive oil and cheese bread. The photo doesn't do this sandwich justice at all. It was huge. An absolute beast, almost like an American deli sarnie in proportions.  The bread was very tasty, sort of like a slightly denser focaccia. The filling comprised pastrami, pickle slices, tomato, cucumber, salad leaves and some sort of dressing (maybe a flavoured mayo?). Again, excellent value at £3, sandwiches half the size with poor ingredients go for this price.

 

And finally, a stem ginger brownie. Couldn't fault this. Classic crisp exterior, fudgy centre, a generous spread of ginger chunks, and a good strong chocolate flavour with just a hint of bitterness. I've no idea what chocolate (or cocoa) they're using, but it's good quality stuff. £1.50 for a large slice. 

The Sunshine Bakery is actually in Chapel Allerton, but I haven't been there yet as I bought all these things from The Source in Leeds Market. For more about The Source read my post about it here, and check out their website here. 

The Sunshine Bakery seem to be a fairly regular fixture at The Source now, so you should be able get your mitts on their goodies in town or Chapel Allerton. For market dates check the website here.  I would imagine a wider range of goods is available in Chapel Allerton, and they also run a supper club some evenings. If the baked goods are anything to go by, this could be an outstanding dining option. I'm hoping to check it out sometime soon.

9/10

The Sunshine Bakery

182 Harrogate Road

Chapel Allerton

Leeds

LS7 4NZ

http://www.sunshinebakeryleeds.co.uk/

A few good things to eat (volume 5): a stag weekend special

Last weekend was the stag party for my soon to be brother-in-law. We ate and drank exceedingly well throughout the event, so much so that I thought I’d write about it.

Breakfast booze to fortify us for the day ahead

Things kicked off on Friday night with a very good home-made chilli con carne and beers aplenty. Saturday began with Bloody Mary’s and bacon sandwiches before a spot of clay pigeon shooting (much more fun than I was expecting it to be), then back to the ranch for late luncheon. And what a lunch!

Game terrine, pickles and pies

The best man demonstrated impeccable taste with his sourcing of key buffet components. High quality pork pies from Lidgate’s Butchers and a classic cheese selection from Neal’s Yard. Colston Bassett stilton, Montgomery’s cheddar and a deliciously ripe, oozing brie.

Coke baked ham, cheeses

Other members of the group had chipped in with a cherry coke baked ham and a game terrine. There was also rare roast beef, Greek salad, slaw, chorizo and potato salad, crusty bread and all manner of chutneys and condiments.

Rare roast beef, coleslaw

After lunch: wine tasting provided by Rob from Thirty Fifty wines. Rob presented very well, giving an educational and interesting talk on various aspects of wine history, production and science as we worked our way through a couple of whites, four reds, a champagne and a port. Questions and intermittent heckling from a sometimes rowdy group were handled deftly and with aplomb. We were also split into teams for an entertaining quiz and a blind taste test, where all three teams correctly identified a Spanish Tempranillo from Rioja and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. Yorkshire folk have changed; we used to be happy with a pint of mild.

 Burger, cheese, pickles, tomato, seeded bun, perfect.

After a snooze or beers in the warm sunshine we reconvened to line our stomachs for the night ahead with a quick barbecue. Burgers, home-made by the best man and grilled expertly by a drunken stag. I had mine served in the traditional manner with dill pickles and a slice of cheese.

And thence to Derby, for a night on the town. From this point on the mask of foodie respectability began to slip a little. A few pints of ale, then swiftly on to tequila, jagerbombs, and ultimately Blue WKD.

To sum up, a wonderful time was had by all. Many thanks to the best man for the immense amount of time and effort invested in the weekend, and also to the others who contributed. I’ll see most of you at the wedding.


http://www.lidgates.com/
http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/
http://www.thirtyfifty.co.uk/