Pies with the Black Stuff: Holland's & Guinness®

Holland's Steak & Guinness® Top Crust Pie

Armed with baggy trousers and an empty belly we headed for The Albert Square Chop House in Manchester  for pie sampling courtesy of Holland's Pies. It was introduced and guided by the knowledgeable pie maker, author and chef Mr Tom Bridges. As ever his insight was informative and interesting. Our previous encounter with Mr Bridges inspired us to make our own !!

Mr Tom Bridges -  Chef, Author and Pie Master

The original invite, we presumed, was with some belated reference to St Patricks day but no, this was to do with the new collaboration with the manufacturers of the black stuff itself, Guinness® !!! The black stuff being in the Pie, most excellent.

Six varieties were provided and tasted, the stand out of which for me was the Holland's Steak and Guinness® Pudding. I mention this as puddings of this type have not been a big favourite before. This is not to say that the others weren't nice, they were, as many comments below will testify to, but this surprised and changed my taste buds.

Holland's Steak & Guinness® Pudding

In full we tasted Hollands Steak and Guiness® Pie. Not yet available but absolutely delicious with deep dark tasty gravy and beef to melt in your mouth. 

 
Hollands Steak & Guinness® Pudding - Another from the new collaboration with Guinness® and perhaps for me a surprising favourite on the night. I have not been previously a great fan of Puddings but this was gorgeous with a moist pastry that suited the contents perfectly. 

Steak and Guinness® Top Crust Pie. A meal in itself with carrots mushroom and beef soaked in Guinness ..... 

The Limited Edition Heroes Pie was next and this has been produced in  recognition of the start of the great war and in doing so harks back to ingredients and the style of the day. I found it bordering on the spicy
 and very eatable !!

Another surprise for me was the Pub Classics Chicken and Ham Pie. Not my favourite meat to have in a pie but this with its creamy sauce and encrusted Thyme made for a taste bud tremor.
 

Again from the Pub Classic range the newly released Peppered Steak. This is different from the stadia version or other versions we have tried from Hollands and although the last to taste it was a leader amongst Pies. The added pepper encrusting on the top gives that extra hit which makes this a top pie and we would give it the Hilda accolade of "I didn't know cow could taste so nice" 

A big thank you to the Hollands team, Guinness®, Tom Bridges and the Albert Square Chop House staff for an excellent evening.