Gerrards

 En route to sunny Pembrokeshire we stopped briefly in Bala and came across a branch of Gerrards in the high street which was formerly an Ecclestons. Gerrards claim to be the oldest family bakers in North Wales having started in 1838.

Fortunately their current Pie & Pastries are a lot fresher than that. A very tasty Steak Pie (8.5) was scoffed by your truly when it had eventually cooled down from the nuclear reactor core level of heat it was emanating.

It was that good, that a week later we stopped on the way home as well. Apart from a slight mis-understanding over change we would heartily recommend a visit to your nearest branch.

Unknown Pleasures: Peter Hook

As part of the Chester literature festival we headed to the Laugh Inn to listen to Peter Hook (Warsaw, Joy Division, New Order, Monaco ........) talking about his new book Unknown Pleasures which concentrates on the period of his career with Joy Division specifically.

The evening is fairly informal and relaxed in approach taking the form of an interview on stage with a couple of large rescued prints (from the Anton Corbijn produced Atmosphere video) as a backdrop.

The prints which overlook the stage are both of Ian Curtis and it is a frank Peter Hook who, in hindsight, blames himself and fellow band mates for the untimely demise of the singer. As an interview it meanders all over the place and this is no bad thing as one question sets off a flow of chatter that is open, interesting and it would seem refreshingly honest.

He is quite self-deprecating about his career, no subject seems taboo and the failure of the Hacienda Club is repeatedly cited as an example of their individual/collective ignorance of organisation and abysmal business acumen. The evening finishes with a question and answer session from an appreciative audience.

Valley Pie

During the summer break we were lucky to be able to head over to one of favourite places the Isle of Anglesey and Holyhead. Big thanks to our perfect hosts’ ange and the biscuitman who also provided pie on arrival !!

The pie was Pork Pie (9/10) from the local Valley Butchers and it tasted excellent which, in our experience, is quite rare for big versions of standard pies.Tasty, moist and pastry just right.

Pembroke

August saw the the Pie Tribe head to Pembrokeshire for a weeks break staying in a small cottage in a village close to the cliffs and the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. Our first stay in Pembrokeshire and what a beautiful place it is. 

We had a great time walking, seeing, listening, tasting, crabbing and laughing all round. The weather was, as Crowded House would say, "Four Seasons In One Day".

We found some splendid ice cream, cheeses, beer and PIE. Being in this part of Wales we did expect to consume more Oggies but no. However we did stop one day at the Farmers Market in the Town Hall at Fishguard and came across the selection below from A & E Meats. We instantly repaired to the harbour wall to consume our purchases. The Lamb & Mint Pie was excellent (8.5), the Steak & Gravy Pie was good (8.0) and the Pork Pie less well received (6.0).

Hot Club of Cowtown

A welcome start to the week end was a first time visit to The Blue Lounge at the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton. The first concert of the annual International Guitar festival was here with Austin, Texas based trio, Hot Club of Cowtown kicking off proceedings.

Kick it they did with a foot stomping trawl through their current and back catalogue with their own originals and their interpretations of various standards getting an airing. Add to this selection, dollops of swing, jazz, blues, gypsy, folk, country and western, with three musicians clearly very talented and most importantly enjoying themselves. 

Their committed, energetic and eclectic approach produces a captivating performance which is absorbing and a disappointment when it finishes as you just want more which is the essence of good gigging, leave them wanting more!

Liked the venue, loved the band and would recommend, Ye Ha !!

Pie Society: Bring on the Pies!

As well as sampling some tremendous pies at our recent pie tasting session with Holland's Pies, it also introduced us to Author/Cookery Detective/Chef, Mr Tom Bridges. Approachable, fascinating and informative his passion for pies is there for all to see in person and in his book, Pie Society which we strongly recommend to all pie munchers who have an ambition to making their own or want learn more about pies generally. With some great photgraphy it had us drooling just looking through.

It is currently available through amazon  and would make an excellent present for any pie muncher you know.

 

Go Dutch, Eat a Holland's Pie!





We were very happy recently to accept an invitation by Holland's Pies  & Puddings to a pie tasting event in Manchester. What a wonderful evening with a nice venue, the Rain Bar and great hosts. Different beers were available to taste to accompany your particular Pie. Also an informed guide to Pies was provided by chef and author Tom Bridges. Finally the stars of the show were Holland's various pies.

Arriving early for the event (that's a first!) the first pie up was the Chicken and Ham Hock. I must admit personally I'm not a big fan of Chicken in any pie but this was excellent, very tasty indeed. Next up was the Beef and Vegetable Pasty which was piping hot and of course I couldn't wait...ouuuucccchhhhh. It was very moreish and definitely worth a repeat serving!!

The third offering was the Peppered Steak pie which was simply fantastic. This one didn't last long at all on the plate! Finally came the Cheese & Onion pie which was very good although we would ask for a bit more onion in it. If it's going to be there you need to be able to taste it.  

We were asked at end of the evening which was our favourite taste, which means that perhaps we didn't like one, but that was not the case as they were all enjoyable and I would have them again willingly. But the Peppered steak won out by a clear margin amongst the gathered throng. Quite apart from the taste overall we like the size of the pies and the pastry. Often you can buy a pie and it's a good handful but too often its a thick dry crust with a lot of air...not these babies oh no.

Many thanks to Holland's Pies for an informative and enjoyable evening. It was great to hear about the Hot water pastry and other background from Tom Bridges. Subsequent testing with some samples at home would also suggest oven heat rather than Microwave if you've got the time and patience!

 

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

One of the musical highlights of the year has to be the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Walking into a gig with the band members is a little different and so the tone of the whole event is set. Serious and gifted musicians all these performers approach it with fun and enthusiasm in abundance.

Their take on rock, punk, pop classics is captivating and invigorating. Their version of Lady Gagas "Born This Way" was just absolutely brilliant. Coupled with their versions of Born To Be Wild , Anarchy in The UK (with all the wrinklies joining in the chorus !!!), Smells Like a teenager, Good The Bad and The Ugly...... it made for a fanatstic evening. We look forward to the opportunity of seeing them again in the future.

Southbank Sunday

Whilst down London way we made our way to Soutbank on the sunday, its always an interesting area with plenty of things to see and do. This visit was no exception particularly with the Olympics on.

One highlight for the Pie Tribe was the Real Food Market  which was delicious to wander round and taste different things. Some pies were on sale and the Pie Student opted for the Pie looking option Pierogi pictured below. Whilst it looks like a smallish pasty it is in fact a type of dumpling made with unleavened dough boiled and then deep fried. Tasty and obviously very healthy.

We love the views from around the Southbank with the river and iconic buildings even if it did lash down with rain. Also a very nice man from Virgin was giving out Strawberry Split ice creams on the train for free which was an excellent end to the day. Once again many thanks to Kathy L and Von Smallhousen.

Piefect Day with Team GB

The Olympics in London were fantastic in so many different ways. Our own personal memories will be of the largest attended single event in Olympic history the mens Olympic Cycling Road Race. Although team GB did not win a medal the event was brilliant and we had the best of experiences watching.

It meant a long trip but it was well worth the effort. We stayed in lovely Carshalton with Kathy L and Von Smallhousen to whom we are very grateful. We made our way early via train to Leatherhead and then by foot to the circuit part of the route at Box Hill. The weather was very kind to us all day which helped enormously. Despite getting there early it was packed. We found a down hill spot just before a tight bend and settled in to wait for the action to start. 

I will never forget the organisation, the atmosphere, the singing, cheering, banter, laughter, stewards (Ambassadors) and the action itself. It was absolutely brilliant and although we were very tired by the time we got back it was worth the effort.

As it was Saturday we headed off for chippy tea down Carshalton high street to be greeted by the Pukka-Pies sign below, excellent. Not so excellent as they have run out of Pies not one to be had. Carshalton is a Pie desert. The Butchers serves a terrible Pie and the chippie has run out, come on Carshalton get some pies in. 

I think it may be to do with the local cat population secretly eating all the  pies in the area. On average they are the largest group of feline beasts I have ever seen including one three legged ginger the size of a fox!