One hundred days of pie: No.6 The Crusty Cob

2017-06-15T15:29:03+01:00July 20th, 2014|

Crusty CobLIFE 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 […]

One hundred days of pie: No.5 Pieminster Shamrock Pie

2017-06-15T15:29:03+01:00July 13th, 2014|

pieminster1There’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 […]

One hundred days of Pie: No 3. Murdochs Macaroni Pie

2017-06-15T15:29:03+01:00July 13th, 2014|

murdochsTime 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.

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One hundred days of pie: No.2 Deacons Game Pie

2017-06-15T15:29:03+01:00July 13th, 2014|

deacons1Good 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?

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One hundred days of pie: No.1 Rounds of Preston

2014-07-13T15:13:36+01:00July 13th, 2014|

roundspie100 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 […]

And so it begins……

2014-05-11T13:37:16+01:00May 11th, 2014|

philippesThe 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 […]

Dawsons Craic

2014-05-03T09:58:10+01:00May 3rd, 2014|

dawsons1I 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. […]

Five great pie blogs

2014-04-21T20:55:52+01:00April 21st, 2014|

paulsxmasI 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 […]

Whatever next: Pie Soup?

2014-04-02T20:55:27+01:00April 2nd, 2014|

bigpie1Now 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 […]

You CAN judge a book by it’s cover

2014-03-30T10:21:26+01:00March 30th, 2014|

pieminstershamrockYes, 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.

Life of Pies: available to buy now

2014-03-29T12:23:07+00:00March 29th, 2014|

bookcoverA self published, self funded travelogue epic in search of the perfect pie, written with humour, observation and downright desperation.

Over 500 copies have been sold to date of Life of Pies which means that there’s less than 500 left to get your mitts on.

This is my ultra positive way of saying I’ve still got a shed full of the buggers left and I had to pay the printers on the credit card….

So here’s the details…..

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Walking up Corfe Castle chomping on a Purbeck Smokie

2017-06-15T15:29:02+01:00March 13th, 2014|

bluevinney1June 2012 saw your correspondent eat a very posh pie with a double digit price in an Oxfordshire village and then nipping to the even posher deli around the corner for a growler to polish off proceedings.

With a few days to spend in Dorset, I ventured all the way as far as Yeovil to buy a pie from a baker’s revelling in the deligthful name of The Dutch Oven.

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Growler Watch

2014-03-05T22:41:59+00:00March 5th, 2014|

arjonesI make no apology as to where I come from. The town of Wigan is notable for many things in many spheres, indeed an almost remarkable amount for a town of it’s size. Most recently for a quite stunning portrayal of haute cuisine on Come Dine With Me. In a culinary sense though, it’s always been about the pies. 

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Blooming great dishes are Wales

2014-02-23T21:15:55+00:00February 23rd, 2014|

hambonefullApril 2012

You’ve never known bad luck until you’ve been stood behind a man with a peregrine falcon perched on his shoulder and he buys the last pie in the shop. Never mind, in Conwy there’s always somewhere else nearby as the Welsh are partial to indulge in an oggy. I said OGGY!!

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Ludlow Calling

2014-02-23T20:57:23+00:00February 23rd, 2014|

feathershotelMarch 2012 was the month where I started to spread my wings. What better way to celebrate the arrival of Spring than a day out in Shropshire on a dual mission.

Without sounding like Cilla off Corrie when she’s on Britain’s Best Bakery narration duties, Shropshire is the home of the fidget pie and also the town of Much Wenlock where locals and visitors alike queue around the corner for the pies of John Ryan (and his sons).

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Marshall Spearing: American rapper or Macclesfield Butcher?

2014-02-12T20:19:19+00:00February 12th, 2014|

Spearing1February 2012 saw me still tippy-toeing around the North West in my often extended lunch hour and so it was that I found myself being given the evil eye by a track suited youth outside Macclesfield court house. Not surprising really as I was doing a voice recording and holding my phone like one of those tits out of the apprentice. He probably wanted to stab me.

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