Few things are as comforting as a pie and we all have our favourites – whether that’s traditional steak and kidney, succulent pork or sweet apple.
And soon it’s British Pie Week (2-8 March 2020) – when all things pie related will be honoured, celebrated and enjoyed.
Apparently, pie-like dishes have been around since the ancient Egyptians, but the version we know and love reportedly has its roots in Northern Europe. It is believed that the early ‘pyes’ were predominantly meat based and that originally the pastry cases served as disposable containers for the filling.
PIE PURISTS
There’s no denying that we Brits take our pies seriously and over 5,500 people signed a petition arguing that calling a pie with no bottom a pie should be made a criminal offence!
The Guinness World Record for the most expensive meat pie ever sold goes to the Fence Gate Inn in Lancashire, which sold slices of its extra special bake for £1,024 a slice! Ingredients included Japanese wagyu beef fillet, Chinese matsutake mushrooms, rare black truffles, French Bluefoot mushrooms and gravy made from vintage wine, all finished off with edible gold leaf!
And while Lancashire is also home to the annual World Pie Eating Championship it’s the West Yorkshire parish of Denby Dale that has a long history of baking giant pies.
The tradition began in 1788 to celebrate the recovery of King George III from mental illness. To date ten pies have been made as part of nine pie festivals. The most recent in 2000, weighed 13 tons and celebrated the new millennium. No surprise then that the village hall is aptly named the Pie Hall and that a large planter outside is actually a former pie dish!
Pies make memories, there’s no doubt about that! Pie and mash, pie and peas, pie and custard, pie and pickle, hot pies, cold pies, gala pies…there’s a pie for all occasions.
Yes, let’s all celebrate British Pie Week!
How about a made to measure pie for your special occassion? Get in touch now!
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/britishpiesweek/
http://www.britishpieawards.co.uk/
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/may/23/nigel-slater-pork-pie-recipe
