Brockleby’s Wild Deer and Longhorn Steak with Stilton and Ale Pie Reviews

Brockleby's Pie Reviews

Three years is a long time in politics – and is equally a long time in pie reviewing! The range of pies sold can vary hugely in that time and some pie businesses even come and go in that time frame. But when a pie company you have tried and rated highly turn up selling their pies pretty much in your back yard - at your local community festival - it’s a bit of a no-brainer to give some more of their pies a go (as well as enjoy an old favourite!)

So with a large Wild Beaver pie already in the bag to share with friends – and before I go any further, no beavers were harmed in the making of that pie! See our previous review for why it gets its provocative title! – it seemed foolish to pass up the op-pie-tunity to rate a few more of their pies. At £4.50 each or 3 for £12, I was sold! The two pies I’m therefore reviewing today are the Wild Deer and Longhorn Steak with Stilton and Ale pies in their decent repertoire.

Graham on the Brockleby's Pie Stall at the Selly Oak Festival

Brockleby's Wild Deer Pie

Of note for both pies were that the pastry was a very nice consistency, particularly the lids of both pies – firm enough to hold in the content but not too thick to detract from the taste. They were also both packed to capacity with large meaty chunks and had a decent amount of gravy without it flowing out all over the place! I’d personally suggest slightly smaller chunks of meat which can be more covered in gravy and be a little tenderer in places, as there were a few large chewier pieces of meat that weren’t quite as succulent. However in all the meat was very nice and well filled, so I couldn’t find much to fault them.

In regards to the wild deer pie, it was certainly my preference out of the two. The meat on the whole was very nice, the gravy very rich and flavoursome and it really complimented the shortcrust pastry. It was therefore a deer pie very well done, and at £4.50 the price wasn’t too dear either! (Even better at £4 when buying 3 pies for £12!)

The steak, stilton and ale was a little more disappointing, simply due to the lack of a significant stilton flavour to the pie. I and a few friends who tried a mouthful too did not sense much of a stilton hit at all, so while by all means the steak was quite nice, as a steak and stilton pie it didn’t reach the same high levels as the wild deer pie and steak and beaver ale pie I’d had before. The steak was however nice in the main and the gravy was nice despite the lack of cheese.

Brockleby's Steak with Stilton and Ale Pie

With strong recommendations towards their Salmon pie and Moroccan Lamb pies, we’ve certainly got other chances to rate a few more of their pies – and hopefully I might pick up a sample or two at UK Piefest at the end of July! I’d certainly recommend you check out their stall if you go, as these pies are Pierate Recommended!

Brockleby’s Wild Deer Pie
Score: 5.86/7
[Colour 5.75, Capacity 6.25, Consistency 6, Condition 5.5, Chewiness 5.5, Cheapness 5.5, Content 6.5]

Brockleby’s Longhorn Steak with Stilton and Ale Pie
Score: 5.32/7
[Colour 5.75, Capacity 6, Consistency 5, Condition 5.5, Chewiness 5.5, Cheapness 5, Content 4.5]

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Brockleby’s “Wild Beaver” Steak and Beaver Ale Pie Review

Brockleby’s “Wild Beaver” Steak and Beaver Ale Pie Review

Before we go any further, the name of this pie has got to be clarified! After all the recent news headlines shocked at the production of squirrel pies by an exotic pie firm, we are not expecting people to give a dam about the meat used in this Brockleby’s Steak pie. For you won’t be gnawing into beaver flesh if you eat this pie – this is a beef steak filling and it is simply the Beaver Ale that is used in the pie that gives it the wild name. Phew!

So with that potential bombshell over let’s get on with the Steak and Beaver Ale pie rating! This pie was a present, provided to me frozen but defrosted before cooking and consumption. It is clearly a pie to be shared, with two large appetites well catered for by this pie and it retailing at the £6.50 mark from shops and farmers markets across the Midlands. You can also buy it online. Considering the quality of the pie and the capacity of good quality meat, this is quite a fair price for a pie for two (or three, if you share it out a bit more!)

Onto considering the content and the quality of the meat was very good. The meat was moist and very tender, not particularly chewy and flavoursome. Having said that, while the meat was nice and moist the pie did lack a bit of moisture in the pie filling, leaving me feeling a bit lacking in gravy. It didn’t help that – with some cracks in the pastry casing – this pie had leaked a bit during the cooking. However overall the meat, despite being just 35% of the ingredients, was the real highlight of this pie.

Brockleby’s “Wild Beaver” Steak and Beaver Ale Pie Review

The rest of the content – consisting of quite a bit of onion and some mushroom and carrot – did make it feel like the pie was being slightly padded out, but overall the capacity of the pie was good. The ale gravy there was did taste good and for that, the Beaver Ale from local brewery Old Dalby did its job successfully.

The shortcrust pastry was quite firm and a bit too thick in places, leaving a slightly high pastry to filing ratio for the ideal pie, but the pastry generally held the content well. Despite a little gravy leakage through cracks in the side, the pie was generally presented well and one I would certainly welcome eating again, receiving Pierate Recommended status.

With the Brockleby’s Venison pie winning the “Other Meats” category recently at the British Pie Awards 2014 – and I am reliably informed that the venison pie contains exactly what it says on the packaging! – I certainly haven’t finished with their pies just yet!

Brockleby’s “Wild Beaver” Steak and Beaver Ale Pie
Score: 5.75/7
[Colour 5.5, Capacity 6, Consistency 5.75, Condition 5.5, Chewiness 6, Cheapness 5.75, Content 5.75, Total: 5.75/7]
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