Frozen pie receives warm reception
Today I was thrilled to receive 70% of my daily saturated fat allowance in the form of a McDougalls Upper Crust 'Gastro Style' Steak and Peppered Sauce pie. This pie comes in a pack of 2, and was found in the frozen food section. At £2.42 for 2, this gives a price of £1.21 per pie - which I'm sure you'll agree is a decent price although not dramatically cheaper than its unfrozen counterparts (and cheaper frozen pies do exist). But don't forget: here at Pierate it's more than just cheapness that counts.
The colour is a gorgeous golden brown and really exemplifies the perfect pastry tone. The general condition is also excellent. The crustiness of the pastry is commendable and worth a special mention.
Here is a photograph to demonstrate the capacity and content of this pie. It's pleasing to see that the pie is filled nearly to the brim, although I had to dig around for something that wasn't just gravy. Perhaps the steak is a little sparse...
The pie sits nicely with a pack of lazy frozen veg. The consistency of the meat is very good, with a low chewiness score of 3.91 p/IE. I can taste the pepper in the sauce, which I like. It could just be the slightly unusual pepper taste, but there's something in there which tastes slightly chemically to me. I think you can tell it's not a fresh homemade pie.
I have to admit, I didn't expect much from this frozen pie offering. Perhaps it was my low expectations that lead me to have a pleasant 'Gastro Style' experience with this pie. Perhaps it was just a decent pie. But, even if it was a decent pie, that's all it was. Not a head turner. Not one I'll be raving about. A decent, standard pie. Sometimes, though, that can be the appeal of a pie. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Score: 5/7
This is not a steak pie.. it is a peppered sauce pie which bears no resemblance to either the picture or description on the box.
ReplyDeleteThanks Hilary. Have you eaten one of these pies then?
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