Did you know Walkers made pies before they made crisps? If so, you’ve probably also been blagging info off Wikipedia like me.
Originally a butcher in the 19th century famed for pies and sausages they started to use the surplus fat off the meat to make potato crisps during the war. Seventy years later ol’ Jug Ears get paid a small fortune to advertise said crisps on the telly.
When I hear the words Rolling Pin they always conjure up images of angry mother in laws stomping down the street waving one about in the air or a dragged up Les Dawson wearing a hairnet. There’s probably some deep rooted psychological issue behind this though I imagine.
The Rolling Pin is situated in the Newtown area of Wigan, not too far from the DW Stadium yet despite this I had never, ever sampled its wares […]
LIFE OF PIES IS ON SALE NOW
Time for a Minced Beef and Mushy Peas Pie!
Yes you read that right! It’s not a minced beef pie with mushy peas – it’s a minced beef and mushy peas pie. The mushy peas are on the inside. I bumped into one of the FC United lads on the train home one day last week, Ste Wood who regaled me with some of the gastronomic treats he has encountered […]
LIFE OF PIES IS NOW ON SALE
Oops sorry I missed a day yesterday, I was sorting out the 16 page photo section you see. In other developments, Mrs Life of Pies (a teacher) is doing a full and thorough final proof read of the book.
This is both good and bad. Good because she’s ripping it to pieces and sorting out all the grammar and punctuation. Bad because she’s ripping it to pieces and […]
There’s a Pieminster around the corner from my place of work. Add this to the Pie & Ale house on Lever Street and the Tib Street Tavern who sell fantastic Great North Pies and you’ve got a formidable triumvirate and there’s an argument to say the Northern Quarter should be renamed the Pie Quarter. Furthermore, the Crusty Cob is only a mile or so away, whose pies you can also find on here if you […]
Oh Greenhalghs what have you done!! The fine Bolton baker actually took the time and trouble to tweet me last summer to make me aware of this fiery feast and now it appears that it’s back on the menu.
I had to walk to the station one Saturday morning to pick my car up and picked up one of these pies only for it to blow my socks off and kind of sort out my hangover.
[…]
Time to throw a controversial choice into the mix. Right at the start of the year I was introduced to the concept of the Macaroni Pie popular North of the Border. Lots of my Northerly twitter friends rave about these and they literally go like hot cakes (hot pies) at Pittodrie and many other football grounds North of the Border.
Good game! Good game! As a wig wearing light entertainment host might say. But what is good game. Indeed what is game? Why is it called game? It’s a bit of a silly name really isn’t it?
We don’t call fish “match” or poultry “competition” do we?
100 DAYS OF PIE: THE FIRST ENTRY. NB THE BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE
If you’re up to date with my pie based excursions you’ll be aware that Life of Pies – the inaugural book of pastry based adventure will shortly be on its way to the printers. Given that printing take 3 months and there’s another week or so of proof reading and finalising before releasing this beast, I reckon it’s around about 100 days away.
Does […]
The significance of the number 97 has nothing to do with quantity of pie consumption I’m afraid it is a simple tally as to how many advance copies of Life of Pies have been already pre-ordered by some wonderful people.
As the May payday came and went, a significant number of generous people put their hands in the pockets to buy a personalised copy of Life of Pies putting me within touching distance of […]
(With apologies to Prince*)
(*In the unlikely event he’s reading)
Now I’ve eaten a LOT of pies in the last two years or so, 400+ in fact but it’s the ones which escape my clutches that eat away at my insides the most. You’ve probably seen the cover of Life of Pies by now, splattered all over this website as it is.
However, what you’ve not seen is the second choice cover. Indeed, it may end up being […]
The following article appeared in the Wigan fanzine, The Mudhutter a few weeks ago and explains how the “Life of Pies” began and how the author hopes to use the latest craze of “Crowd Funding” to help fund the printing of the book.
Left: A steak pie from Philippes of Skipton
A new year always brings new aims and ambitions. By day I work as an accountant but in my spare time I co-edit this Wigan fanzine […]
I think this is what I will have to call a post pie audit. As I am currently writing up my forthcoming book at a rate of knots, I am challenging my own rationale in some senses and forcing out some repeat visits.
Dawsons of Tyldesley is one such case in question. The pie I had there in June 2012 lived long in the memory: very much like a Galloways meat and potato pie but better. […]
I am currently hurtling at great speed towards my 2014 ambition of publishing a third book, this one being about pies and presumably as you are reading this blog you may have a vague interest in it. I intend to update this site more frequently over the next few months both in terms of promoting this book, listing details for pre-orders and publishing content and snippets as an appetite whetter.
Paul’s Christmas Pie (left)
If it’s not been updated […]
Now I like HP Sauce me. In fact I’d go as far as to say I love it. It’s the piri piri sauce of the working classes; and it’s been around since Nando was just that lad Abba used to sing about.
However, before we get carried away, my preference at a push is to put it on a pie not in a pie so this is no shoe in of a review.
I stand firmly in […]
Yes, you can; because sometimes it’s perfectly self explanatory. I’ve spent several weeks poring over the various ideas, thoughts and combinations before getting to this stage and it’s safe to say that I’m delighted with the outcome.
There were funnier ideas and indeed more obscure or abstract ones but ultimately this cover reflects the nature of the mission down to a tee and spells out exactly what it does on the tin.