Tuesday, 2 September 2014
I'm in the mood for Grumpies of Cornwall pies
Grumpies of Cornwall pie review
Cornwall might be more famous for its pasties, but we're thrilled that Grumpies of Cornwall avoided the obvious and chose to make top Cornish pies instead (well, we're not Pastyrate, after all!) And even more thrilling was that we got our Pierating hands on some of them! Will Grumpies put me in the mood for pie, or just put me in a mood?
This is a selection of 'Chicken Gammon and Leek', 'Steak and Ale', and 'Blue Cheese and Walnut'. The first thing that strikes me is the packaging is pretty cool, with a cartoon of the two grumpies and the transparent window to admire your pie. It's a clever packaging design.
The proof is in the eating, though - should Grumpies change their name to Grumpasties?
First up is the Grumpies Steak and Ale pie. Neat little touch there with the bull notched into the pastry. I like it. The pie is in great condition and the golden brown colour is spot on. There's no leakage or boil out, and no blemishes or cracks on the surface.
Cracking in to the pie, the pastry gives way nicely - it's crisp and not too soft. There is a slight air gap, however - the pie isn't filled completely to capacity. The pie also isn't particularly big - I think you would certainly want this as part of a meal rather than as a meal in itself. However, I see that the filling is of good quality, with lots of nice chunks of steak and some mushrooms too.
Eating the pastry, I realise this is some of the best pastry I've had. It has a wonderful crispy layer on the outside, and melts in your mouth as you bite into it. The content also tastes delicious. The ale comes through quite strongly, I feel, which personally I like but others made find it too strong. The steak is not chewy. I really like the taste of this pie, and the pastry is excellent. However it is a little let down by its air-gap and its cost (which, at £3.50 a pie I think is maybe a bit on the expensive side for not a particularly big pie).
Colour: 7
Condition: 6.5
Content: 6.2
Capacity: 4
Chewiness: 6.4
Consistency: 6.2
Cheapness: 5
Grumpies of Cornwall Steak and Ale pie
Score: 5.9/7
TJP
Next up is the pie that most intrigues me - the Blue Cheese and Walnut. (Side note: As Matthew over at Food and Geography will no doubt tell you, Stilton is a protected food name so any blue cheese not made in a specific geographical area can't be called Stilton). Just when I was going to suggest that Grumpies use a local Cornish blue cheese, I check their website and see that they do just that! Yes, apparently it's a creamy Cornish blue in this pie - excellent, we love it when companies use local produce.
Again, like the steak and ale pie, this pie is in excellent condition with a perfect colour. On opening up the pie, the creamy contents threaten to spill out over the plate in a tidal wave of yummy goodness before I can get a photo of the contents. As you'll spot, there's an air gap here similar to that in the steak and ale pie. However, the pastry is again sublime, and the filling is also very tasty and deliciously rich!
I must say, this pie is probably rather an acquired taste - I love blue cheese (and I think everyone should!) but I know many people that would run a mile at the sound of blue cheese and walnut. I might also add that the filling also doesn't look 100% appetising, and was a little runny, I felt.
Nonetheless, I would heartily recommend you give this pie a shot. It's delicious and the pastry is excellent.
Colour: 7
Condition: 6.5
Content: 5.2
Capacity: 4
Chewiness: 6.5
Consistency: 5.2
Cheapness: 5
Grumpies of Cornwall Blue Cheese and Walnut Pie
Score: 5.63/7
TJP
And now onto the Chicken, Gammon and Leek.
Similar to the other two pies, this pie is of perfect colour and condition. Can't wait to tuck in!
This cross-sectional view shows that the filling is of high quality, although there is a slight air-gap again. I felt the pie was a little low on volume of filling, but the filling that was there was a delicious combination of gammon, chicken and leek. The sauce had a nice consistency and the chicken was not at all chewy. Again, the pastry was excellent. This pie would be the perfect accompaniment to a glass of crisp white wine.
Colour: 7
Condition: 6.5
Content: 5.5
Capacity: 4
Chewiness: 6.5
Consistency: 6
Cheapness: 5
Grumpies of Cornwall Chicken, Gammon and Leek pie
Score: 5.79/7
TJP
Overall, some very yummy pies from Grumpies of Cornwall! Pierate Recommended.
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