Eating ‘Umble Pie’

Sweet and Savoury, Hot and Cold, Fusion, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free there is now a pie for almost everyone.

Our Butchers have even developed the pastry casing along with the pie to include shortcrust, puff, rough puff filo, hot water crust, suet crust.

Pies include pasties which were the forerunner of the pie and defined as ‘a filling encased in a single sheet of pastry which is folded over and crimped – and of course baked’.Pasties (Cornish) do count as pies. Meat and veg in one end, preserved apples and soft fruits at the other, wrapped in pastry with a hand-crimped ‘handle’ to close them for tin miners by their wives, who carved their husband’s initials into the crust.

Main course and dessert in one, with a handle for dirty hands. But was it the same without Stokes Real Brown Sauce? Clearly not.

We British love a pie.So, if a Cornish Pastie is accepted as a pie, why not an Empanada? These Spicy Vegetable Empanadas were created by Andy whose RECIPE and VIDEO can be found HERE.

According to the rules of British Pie Week (where we find ourselves now) the definition of a pie is ‘a filling totally encased in pastry and baked’. So, no lattices, tarts or those casseroles with a puff pastry lid which some pubs misleadingly call ‘pies’.No Shepherd’s Pie (lamb mince with potato topping), Cottage Pie (beef mince with potato topping) or potato topped so called ‘Fish Pie’ either.Slow-cooked Beef Pie.

This is a BIG, TASTY, PIE, created by our Resident Chef – Andy.

His TOP TIP is not to rush the beef, but to slowly cook it as directed in his exclusive Food Lovers RECIPE & VIDEO – HERE.

TRY THIS: If you are not too hot at making pastry, try finishing it off in the oven with a layer of mashed potatoes on top. Stir our Creamed Horseradish into the buttery mash before spooning it over the beef – delish, THE perfect pairing.Sausage & Egg Pie

This is a great example of using the sausage meat by squeezing it out of the skins to use the full flavour of your favourite banger.

Enjoy the full RECIPE – HERE.Pie & Pickle

It’s the quality of the ingredients and passion in the cooking that makes our Relish and Chutney range so deliciously good – HERE.

There is something for every palate and occasion: for cold cuts, ploughman’s, pork pies & cheese; in a sandwich a burger, or just dolloped on the side of the plate to add rich, intense flavour to al fresco dining when the sun shines, or a comforting meat and cheese platter when it doesn’t.Eating ‘umble’ pie.

In the Middle Ages, the lord of the manor sat at the top table and would be served the prime cuts of meat such as venison.

The lower orders and serfs sat on benches right at the back of the room. They got the entrails of the deer, cooked with modest vegetables in a pie.

The offal of a deer is known as ‘umble’ hence the term to eat ‘humble pie’.

Have some ‘flippin fantastic’ Pancake Fun this weekend.

We had great fun in the kitchens at Stokes just the other day making pancakes for all and especially this deluxe stack of Apple & Cranberry Pancakes.

To watch chef Dave in action making them on Facebook, just click  HERE.

So, just what are Jamalades???Our Jamalades win Accolades and you can read all about them HERE.

The Blackcurrant EXTRA Jam on these American-style pancakes.

Our Blackcurrant Extra Jam is laden with real blackcurrants making it full of fresh fruit flavour and with a rich texture to savour.

The Great Taste Award judges commented: “A very flavourful blackcurrant jam, intensely fruity with extremely well-judged sugar content, lasting flavour and a very good texture. This has obviously been made with skill and care.”

That’s the ‘jammy bit.

The ‘alades’ refers to our outstanding Seville Orange Marmalade, used here on traditional English-styles pancakes.It is a classic fine cut Seville Orange Marmalade made to a traditional English recipe (with a few little tweaks of our own) and oodles rich in Seville Oranges.

One comment made about our Blackcurrant EXTRA Jam was that its … deep purply colour that is incredibly appealing on the eye, and that one judge remarked: “belongs on a painter’s palette!”

If you’re a jamaladeaholic, you can order your very own Painter’s Palette – HERE.

No Choking. We’re Only Joking !

Q: What do you call a pie without a top? A: A tart!! 

A man walks into a bar with a pork pie on his head. The barman asks, “Why are you wearing a pork pie on your head?” The man replies, “It’s a family tradition. We always wear pork pies on our heads on Tuesday.” The barman remarks, “But it’s Wednesday.” Sheepishly, the man says, “Man, I must look like a real fool.”

Q: Why don’t pies make good detectives? A: They always crumble under pressure.

Q: Why did the pie go to the dentist? A: Because it needed a filling.

“Nobody can fail to lose weight in the jungle, unless they’ve a secret stash of pork pies somewhere” Colin Baker (The DR)

“So learn about life. Cut yourself a big slice with a silver server, a big slice of pie. Open your eyes. Let life happen.” Sylvia Plath.

“You like pie? I like pie.” Barack Obama.