British Pie Week 2023

9th March 2023

It’s British Pie Week, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the joy that is pie! We are a nation of pie lovers, with research showing that 75% of us enjoy one at least once a month.

Pie Facts

Pie is an ancient dish originally conceived by the Romans. The first example of a meat-filling enclosed in pastry, can be tracked back to ancient Rome. Fruit pies first appeared in the 1500s, but the history books cherry pie show that the first cherry pie was served up to Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th Century.

In Medieval times, chefs often competed with one another to create the most ‘entertaining’ of pies; some saw birds emerging out of the pastry and there were even rumours of dwarves jumping out during large feasting events!

Mince pies were banned in the 17th Century by Oliver Cromwell who saw them as a sign of gluttony. The ban didn’t last long, however, and people could once again enjoy these tasty treats.

Pies have proven to be popular in nursery rhymes. Four and twenty blackbirds were baked in a pie in “Sing a Song of Sixpence”, Little Jack Horner put his thumb into a pie and Simple Simon met a pieman in the popular children’s rhyme.

Chicken Pie

With snow forecast this week, it’s the perfect time to get comfy at home and eat some wholesome and tasty food. With this in mind, and to celebrate British Pie Week, why not make this great recipe for Chicken Pie?

Ingredients

1 packet of ready rolled puff pastry

Half a cooked chicken

1 leek (chopped)

½ packet of smoked bacon cut into small pieces

¾ oz mushrooms (sliced)

1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 1 cup of water

½ cup milk

1 oz plain flour

½ oz butter and a little vegetable oil

Method

  1. Strip the carcass of chicken, cutting meat into large pieces.
  2. Sauté the leek, bacon and mushrooms in the butter and oil. When soft, add the flour.
  3. Add stock, stirring continuously then add the milk so that the sauce is rich and creamy. If the sauce is a little thick, add more liquid.
  4. Add the pre-cooked chicken and stir carefully until meat is completely coated. Then empty the contents into a large pie dish.
  5. Cover with the pastry, making a vent in the pie top. Brush the pastry with milk.
  6. Bake in the oven on a high temperature (200C/400F/gas 6) for around 25 minutes or until it is golden.

Get Prepared at The Pantiles

There are several places at The Pantiles that can help you create the perfect pie this British Pie Week, including:

Oliver Greens

Recently reopened, Oliver Greens is your go-to local produce store offering a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, local cheese and chutneys, a selection of meats and fresh flowers. Since reopening, they now have an alcohol offering too.

Trevor Mottram

Opening the year that Jamie Oliver was born, Trevor Mottram has been a name at the heart of The Pantiles for over forty years. Stocking everything a kitchen and cook could need, including whisks, mixing bowls, pans and cutlery, they’re your one-stop-shop for pie-making essentials this British Pie Week.

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