Have Nice Pie made a (road) killer pie?!

Nice Pie Roadkill Pie and Peppercorn and Brandy Steak Pie Reviews

Considering the amazing range of unusual and exotic pies Nice Pie have made over the short time they've been in existence - summarised in the list of Nice Pies we've rated - it should come as no surprise they've always got another quirky offering up their sleeve! So after their TV appearance on Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast on Channel 4 recently, where they focused on their Wild Squirrel pie (which we went nuts for when we rated it back in January 2014), we couldn’t resist trying their interestingly named "Roadkill Pie" this British Pie Week, alongside a steak pie on Day Three!

Right on track... the Nice Pie "Roadkill" Pie

And while the name might put some people off, it makes total sense to me and I was certainly game to try it! After all, it certainly solves the problem of deciding which game meat to have in a pie when this option contains pheasant, rabbit, venison AND partridge!

As part of our “How long can we just eat pie for?” Pieathon challenge we thought we’d benefit from a range of their smaller pies, which coming in at £3.50 is pretty reasonable for a hefty, meat filled pie packed with delicious filling and cooked in their lovely butter shortcrust pastry. As I’ve mentioned before many a time with these Nice Pies (for which you can see a full list of all the previous Nice Pies we've rated here), it is amazing how they hold together so well despite being so filled with content. The nature of the pastry means it can be a little crumbly in places but in general it is very nice and lovely and golden once cooked, which you can see in the lovely photos!

Nice Pie "Roadkill" Pie Review

The Roadkill Pie was possibly the most mixed-meat-filled pie we've had since the infamous "Polabe" pie of 2011, which was a combination of Po(rk)La(mb)Be(ef) and didn't really work so well as a mix of flavours.

Fortunately, going for a much simpler name and a more logical game meat mix, the Roadkill pie flavour worked a lot better. As is a feature in all the Nice Pie range, the pie was once again full of succulent and tender meat. I still can't get over the fact that the meat content in these pies is 70%, when so many supermarket pies are down in the 20-30% range, making it one of the most meat-filled game pies we’ve had. And it was the return of partridge in a pie following the unique "Partridge in a Pear Pie" I had at Christmas!

With a great capacity, one thing I did feel the pie lacked a bit was a more substantial gravy or sauce. For sure the meat was lovely and moist - and you can see in the photo there were remnants of liquid stock - but I would have preferred something slightly more. (I was perhaps pining the near perfect consistency of the gravy in the Red Stag pie I had the day before!) That said, you wouldn't want to overpower the different flavours of the meat in doing so, in which case it may be best left as it is!

As with any mix of meats, you do have to try and balance the flavours in the pie, which can be harder than when you are just producing a single-meat pie, but I thought they worked well together and once again the pastry was crisp and golden, holding together well in spite of all the meat weighing this pie down! The pastry was in general very good, with a clever crisp "tyre-track" complexion and a softer but tasty side and base pastry.

Eaten just the day after the Red Stag pie, it didn't quite live up to those lofty expectations but really wasn't far off! There's no doubt I'd be game for another!

Nice Pie Roadkill Pie [Pheasant, Rabbit, Venison and Partridge]
Score: 5.93/7
[Colour 5.75/7; Consistency 5.5/7; Cheapness 5.75/7; Chewiness 6/7; Condition 6/7; Content 6/7; Capacity 6.5/7; Total: 5.93/7]

We celebrated British Pie Week 2015 with some Nice Pies!

Peppercorn and Brandy Steak Pie Review

The Peppercorn and Brandy Steak Pie was again noted for its very good filling:pastry ratio. The meat was so lovely and tender – a real delight. Once again packed in at 70%, there was no missing the meatilicous content of this pie! Having eaten the Cow Pie in their range the day before, which was noted as being quite peppery in itself, I was more prepared for the peppercorns this time round and it certainly delivered! The pepper and brandy flavouring is a novel addition and if you enjoy your steak pie well seasoned this is probably the pie for you!

Being very similar in content to the Cow Pie I'd had the day before it was very difficult to make a massive separation between them, other than to suggest if you prefer a more seasoned pie then it would be worth investing in the Peppercorn and Brandy Steak Pie option! If you don't, the Cow Pie is just as great! Once again it's another Pierate Recommended pie from Nice Pie!

Nice Pie Peppercorn and Brandy Steak Pie
Score: 5.68/7
[Colour 5.75/7; Consistency 5/7; Cheapness 5.5/7; Chewiness 6/7; Condition 5.75/7; Content 5.5/7; Capacity 6.25/7; Total: 5.68/7]



Once again Nice Pie have done us proud, producing more Pierate Recommended pies and while it’s hard to resist the amazing range of exotic pies Nice Pie do, you would certainly be missing out if you didn’t tuck into a more traditional pie flavour from their range when given the chance!

RAS