Pie in the Sky

There are few things more gloriously British than a pie.

We’re a nation that has weathered wars, queues, drizzle and the heartbreak of a soggy bottom. And, through it all, we’ve kept faith in pastry. Because, when the wind is howling down the high street and the forecast says ‘dull dull dull’ …

… what truly restores the national spirit? A salad?

No, a pie.

Pies come in all shapes, sizes, toppings, contents, tastes, and condiments.

Where do we start…:Beef Crumble

Playing on  the pie theme by adding a humble, crumble pie-style topping, this is a lovely recipe. Savoury mince with a crumble topping. Inspired and – what a joy!

RECIPE – HERE.Woodland Mushroom & Pancetta Strudel.

Another pie variant. Creamy woodland mushrooms and salty pancetta wrapped in filo pastry. What a beauty. What a recipe.

RECIPE – HERE.Sausage & Egg Pie.

So, it’s a breakfast pie – fun to make and joyously juicy to eat.

RECIPE – HERE.Slow-cooked Beef Pie.

The long, slow cooking of the beef ensures the tenderest, tastiest filling for this delicious pie. Adding our Real Brown Sauce gives the gravy a wonderful depth of flavour, sweet with dates and aromatic with Persian spices. Enjoy.

RECIPE – HERE.We love pies because they are gloriously democratic. From steak and ale in a cosy pub, to a pork pie in a picnic basket, from chicken and mushroom at Sunday tea to something a bit cheffy with heritage beetroot and goat’s cheese, there’s a pie for every pocket and every palate.And perhaps most of all, we love pies because they feel like home. They remind us of nan’s kitchen, of match days and market stalls, of gravy boats and slightly over-enthusiastic crimping. In a world that’s increasingly complicated, a pie remains beautifully simple … good filling, proper pastry, no nonsense.

Real Tomato Ketchup – We must start with the basics, of course. Our thick, flavoursome Ketchup is a classic pairing with a meaty pie.

200g of sun-ripened, juicy Mediterranean tomatoes are crammed into every 100g of this award-winning Real Tomato Ketchup, giving it a rich, natural tomatoey flavour, which makes you wonder how you hadn’t discovered it before!

Real Brown Sauce – Another all-time classic is brown sauce, of course. But ours is so different to the norm. A truly grownup Brown Sauce, rich with date purée and heady with Persian spices. It pairs perfectly with pork pies, Cornish pasties and steak pies. Mint Sauce – Our sweet garden Mint Sauce is a British staple when it comes to any lamb dish, and adds a mouth-watering twang to lamb pies. You don’t just have to stick to lamb pies though; if mint sauce is your go-to choice, there’s no stopping you enjoying any meat or fishy pie dish with it. Cheese Sauce – You can never go wrong with cheese… especially with a delicious fishy pie. Cheese sauce  isn’t cheese sauce without our Dijon Mustard to lend a warming kick. It’s a perfect choice to pair with vegetable pies too, adding an extra splash of taste enhancing the flavour-packed vegetables.

Try cauliflower cheese pie baked with a fluffy mashed potato topping – wonderfully satisfying. Yummmmm.

And, of course, we’ve a wealth of taste, flavour and joy in the jars from our Relish & Chutney selection.

…frying in the air tonight

SIX. Yes, 6. We have no fewer than six amazing air fryer snacking recipes for you to enjoy whilst watching the SIX Nations, week 4 of 5, this weekend .

It’s a numbers game …

How much air can an air fry fry if an air fry can’t fry that!

Let’s air fry … or is that TRY!Habanero Skins.

Crispy skins, fluffy centre, packed with bacon, onions and cheese. Remember, our Habanero HOT Sauce is not for the faint hearted.  Sounds good with a can of beer?! Oh yes please. (There’s a video here too.)

RECIPE – HERE.Crumpet Turnovers.

This is the first of a number of magical recipes from Special Guest, and friend, Emily @whatiateforbreakfast.

Emily says: ‘you can add any fillings you like, sweet or savoury. I went for @stokes_sauces chilli jam, @thejollyhog black treacle ham & grated cheddar, which was a seriously scrumptious combination.’

RECIPE – HERE.Welsh Rarebit.

One for Friday evening, when Wales take on Ireland. Should be a good game, and it’s certainly a very good snack rarebit.

RECIPE – HERE.Cauliflower Cheese Fritter.

Another star fry from Emily who says: ‘These low-carb cauliflower fritters are seriously yummy and only contain 3 ingredients (plus herbs & seasonings)’.

Make extra cheese sauce for dunking.

RECIPE – HERE.Hunter’s Sausage.

Great thinking from Emily: ‘If you’re a fan of Hunter’s Chicken, you’ll love my wrap version, swapping the chicken for sausages.’

Emily has a video to guide you through to what’s probably the best snack ever.

RECIPE – HERE.Korean BBQ Wings.

It’s Chef Andy’s marinade that makes this so special, packing so much flavour into these juicy wings.

Our Korean BBQ Sauce is a sweet and fruity barbecue sauce with rich dark brown sugar, soya sauce, and sweet Mirin wine, which the marinade balances with fresh ginger and garlic.

RECIPE – HERE.