Sunday 24 June 2012

Jubilee Pie

The Pie Tribe went to Deva town over the Jubilee weekend for street festivities , Giants Parade and Pie. With lots of various food on offer nothing can beat a Pie. On this occasion the Pasty Place Bakery was chosen and the Pieman sampled their Giant Cornish Steak Pasty (and yes they claim to be from Cornwall)

It was large and incredibly hot requiring an asbestos lined tongue or the patience of Job to let it cool time before taking a munch. A pie muncher with patience? I'm afraid not, so one burnt mouth later we can report they are big, filling, tasty, and extremely hot !!! We can only give a 7.5/10 for this pie. As it was many things but lacking a little bit in one aspect which was Steak which seems fairly crucial for a Steak Cornish Pasty !! 

Edwards Pie


Does a view get any better than this? Looking from the Great Orme on a beautiful day at a beautiful pie the Huntsman Pie from Edwards of Conwy. This is a Pork Pie with a stuffing topping and was most excellent with the Pie student giving this sample a resounding 8.5/10

The Pieman chose a Pork and Stilton Pork Pie on this occasion and was not disappointed as it was delicious and worthy of 9/10. Tasty, moist but not falling apart as you ate it. 

Going in the shop is a treat in itself as their display is  mouth watering with a multitude of choice which keeps calling you back. It was a bit of a scrum as the pies are made fresh and people were ordering large quantities even by the piemans standards!!!

We had actually gone for a day walking, chilling and exploring which we did but an opportunity to visit Edwards is not one to miss. We enjoyed a boat ride up the Conwy estuary, a picnic past the marina, an off road driving experience in the Conwy valley (!), walking in Trefirw and a trip up the Orme all bathed in beautiful sunshine which has been rare this year.


Southern Pie


A recent visit to South London saw the Pieman  and  Lee O'Brien introduced to the delights, briefly, of Carshalton whilst delivering various items to Piester in Law. An early morning start allowed us to go out and enjoy the Carshalton parks, ponds and pies.

But oh what a disappointment with the only offering found, a sturdy looking minced beef & onion from the butchers (Woodward Brothers) on the the high street. Although packed by the Butcher he didn't know who made it! Which was just as well as it was horrible and we award it a 4/10, for being of no merit whatsoever. 

However we did have an excellent time with our hosts if not a bit short and a bit tiring. We did have a stonking breakfast and met the largest cat ever ! Can't wait to go again.


Top Train Pie


We would like to thank Pie Tribe friend John boy for the picture and review of this train pie.

From your roving pie correspondent.

Treated to this beauty on the East Coast Mainline service from Newcastle. Ordered a Pork Pie in first class, expecting a Melton type but got this served warm with salad and piccalilli!! 8/10

Very tasty but slightly dry, but considering it was travel fare, an excellent pie!

Republic Of Pie


The Pieman and the Pie Student enjoyed a trip to Liverpool recently to visit the new recently opened Liverpool Museum located down on the riverfront between the Albert Dock and the Three Graces. Free to get in with plenty to see, watch and listen to. Well worth a visit. 

We then wandered into town and found one of favourite diners Eddie Rockets was closed and lock up which was very disappointing. However we did spot a newish Moroccan restaurant which we will have to check out soon called Kasbah Cafe Bazaar which seems to combine eating with retailing.

Wellington Bureaucracy

Whilst waliking around Powis Castle we came across this which made us laugh and is probably still relevant for today. Hope you can read it okay?


CO-OP Steak Pie


The Pie Princess tasted this and was not overly impressed. A dry pastry filled 6 out of 10 and probably purchase if no other available or the pennies are tight!!

King Of Twang


What a delight for the Pieman and Mark Shed who went to Manchester the day City won the Premiership. We were there to see the King of Twang Mr Duane Eddy and he did not disappoint. He ambled on stage without much fanfare and proceeded to rip through a brilliant set of songs across the whole spectrum of his career including the recent album produced with Richard Hawley and his band, who are backing the King of Twang on his current tour.

Songs included Detour, Movin and Groovin, Yep!, The Lonely One, Shazam!, Bleaklow Air, Twango, Play Me Like you Play your Guitar, Three 30 Blues, 40 Miles of Bad Road, Platypuss, because they're Young, Roadtrip, Curveball, Rebel Rouser, Peter Gunn, Mexborough and Hard Times

At 74 I doubt he needs to tour and must do it because he enjoys it which we certainly did. His chat was interesting, informative and funny. He was supported by the very talented Nell Bryden who was excellent just on her own with a guitar and a powerful voice. She was funny although I'm not sure United fans might think so! Check out her video for her latest single

The venue was the Royal Northern College of Music and we can strongly recommend it to you with its excellent facilities. Pie was consumed by Mark Shed, but so quickly that no informative review can be provided except that it was very large and eaten on the hoof.

Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture


On a wet bank holiday weekend we headed out into darkest mid wales and the National Trust property of Powis Castle close to Welshpool. The house was interesting enough but the rain was still batting down so proposed walk around the grounds and gardens was avoided. 

Instead a cunning back up plan was enacted which meant carrying on for a few miles to visit the Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture. Small, compact and not time consuming but fascinating nonetheless. I wouldn't justify visiting mid wales just for it but if your in the area it was well worth a stop off being very different and had a definite appeal to some members of the Pie Tribe. 

Hard to describe but we like the description offered by Brian Eno "

‘Andrew's work doesn't offer that much to the would-be catalogue mystifier: if you start saying anything too pretentious about it, it sort of laughs in your face. It's hard to place, because it doesn't really quite belong anywhere, guilelessly straddling a number of heavily contested boundaries - such as those between art and craft, between art and decoration, between pop and fine, between the profane and sacred. But I don't think this straddling is some sort of ideological position that Andrew has contrived - it's just where he happens to find himself when he makes the work he wants to see.’

We would visit again and take in a walk around the pretty village of Berriew where although no Pie was purchased we did scoff some delightful Welsh Cakes.