Wednesday 30 January 2013

Pies from Paul, it's Paul's Pies

Paul's Pies pie review for Steak and Guinness Pie
 
Those that know me will know I've been talking quite a lot about a certain pie I've recently eaten. I present to you: Paul's Pies

I was attracted to the London Farmers Market at Notting Hill Gate on the search for a really great pie.

And what do I come across? A Paul's Pie stall! I'd heard a bit about Paul's Pies before - after all, they are a British Pie Awards silver winner 2012 (and a Gold award for his Venison and Mushroom pie), and that sort of acclaim does not go unnoticed by Pierate HQ. I'm delighted that the man behind the stall is actually award-winning pie maker and genuine nice guy Paul himself. 

It's nearing closing time at the market, but luckily Paul still has a few pies left. "I came here this morning with 60," says Paul, pointing to the table where all that remained was about 8 pies. There's a venison pie, a chicken pie, and this Steak and Guinness pie. I go for the Steak and Guinness. The demand for a Paul's pie is obviously high.


As I speak to Paul about his business a bit more, another customer arrives at the stall to buy a pie. "I've heard they're the best," she says, taking a pie from the ever-dwindling stack. High praise indeed.

S for  'steak' or S for 'Superpie?'

So this is the Paul's pie in question. It normally comes in a red box if you buy it from a shop, so I've added the red card here to help me imagine the red box. What strikes me is that the pie is massive. If only I could find the kitchen scales then I'd weigh the pie, as I'm sure it's weight would be quite impressive. Yes, it's £4.99, which is by no means the cheapest of pies, but if this pie delivers then it's money well spent. If you're looking for a budget pie then the price tag may put you off, but the pie is actually so large it's a meal in itself. The crimping and colour is pretty awesome, and after it has been heating in the oven for a bit then there's quite a nice golden caramelisation developing. The condition is great considering how large this pie is - I'd be concerned about the pie collapsing under its own weight but it holds up pretty well. 

This is the content of the pie:

Bam! Pie explosion!

Pretty impressive, right? If that isn't full marks for content then I'm not sure what is. The pie is stacked to the top crust with content. I can see the tender chunks of steak - which is even still a bit pink, wow! There is a mixture of roughly chopped and finely chopped onion, mushrooms and even bacon. This is epic.

I'm relieved that the pie also tastes as good as it looks. The steak is not at all chewy, and for a pie that looks like it doesn't have much gravy, all the ingredients are moist and delicious. There is a great peppery element to this pie as well, giving it a great kick alongside the Guinness. The pastry is also supreme.

This pie is stunning to look at, hefty, and a taste sensation. It's the ultimate comfort food, something which Paul tells me he strives for when he makes his pies. The British Pie Awards have got it right in awarding this pie very high honours. I'm bowled over by this pie, which puts so many other pies to shame. It's epic in every way I can imagine.

Paul's Pies Steak and Guinness Pie
Score: 6.73/7
TJP





3 comments:

  1. Paul's Pies, simply good ingredients prepared with care produces the perfect pie...top marks.

    Geoffrey Whittle

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just found this web site which might be the answer to my prayers BUT . . . Paul's Pies? Where do you find them? There's no webs site and I can't see - in the review - where to go to get one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are very sorry to say that Paul's Pies are no more. They stopped production this year. We are looking to update our pie rankings to declare a new number one soon!

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