Who ate all the pies?

Since October 2011, the boys down in the butchery and farm shop have been creating some mouth-wateringly delicious pies, pasties and sausage rolls.  They started off with a plain pork pie and soon started being a bit creative. They now bake a Pork and Stilton, Pork and Pickle, Ploughman’s, Chicken & Stuffing and a Turkey pie! My favourite is the Ploughman’s by far – but all of our customers seem to be going for the plain as their top choice. 

The pies are created by our lovely butcher Charlie and lovely baker Wally.  

Wally told me that it takes FOUR days from start to finish...

On Monday, Wally makes the pastry; he uses a Pastry-Break which works like a giant rolling pin.  Charlie will cut the meat and mix it in the giant mixer with different seasonings to create the perfect fillings to go in the pies.  

On Tuesday, they will press the pies with a Pressing Machine.  This is how they make the pie shape and fill it with the tasty fillings.

On Wednesday the pies are cooked in a giant oven, during this process, the meat filling will shrink, so once they’ve cooled down the bakers will jelly them.  This is when they fill up the empty space inside the pie with a savoury jelly which not only adds to the tastiness, it also gives them a longer shelf life.

On Thursday, Wally loads the van up with the pies and delivers them to 8 local shops and delicatessens.  

Phew – 800 pies done and dusted until next week!

Pastry Breaker...

...it works like a giant rolling pin!

Cut sections for pie bases

Freshly Baked Pies!

Every Wednesday when the pies are cooking, the smell wafts up to the office here and my mouth starts watering…luckily, I can pop downstairs to the Farm Shop and buy one.  

If you fancy tasting one, but can’t get to Fordhall then you can find our pies at Brown & Green’s Trentham, Derby and Newant, Maynards Farm Shop, Green Fields Donnington and Priors Lee and at the Drayton Deli in Market Drayton.

Mmmmm, delish!

  

The finished product, Ploughmans Pies.