Yorkshire Handmade Pies at Spark

Ben Thorpe — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:06:22 +0000

Pies can be a bit of a minefield and inspire strong emotions. Many is the time at a function where a pie is promised and what is delivered is a stew with a cursory sheet of puff pastry plonked on top; generally satisfying enough, but certainly not a pie. Taking things rather more seriously are Yorkshire Handmade Pies who have an impressive reputation and an equally impressive number of stars awarded from the Great Taste Awards and are now dipping their toe into selling hot food with a pop-up at Spark which runs until the end of March.

Founded by James Sturdy, who draws inspiration from his family’s pie making history which started with his grandfather, Yorkshire Handmade pies describe themselves as making “pies for those who love pies made properly, paying respect to the traditions and history that make the pie such a unique British dish”. Obviously I had to go along and check those credentials out at Spark where they can be found in the first unit to the right as you enter.

Clearly I expected the standard of the core ingredient to be high but it remained to be seen how this would translate into street food where they were to be served with smoked garlic mash, peas and gravy. For the sake of maximum coverage, I made sure to try the Steak & Ale, Cheddar, Smoked Applewood & White Onion and the vegan friendly Portobello Mushroom & Porter all of which promised much based on the smells coming from the unit. All three delivered on their promise with expertly balanced fillings packing in all the flavour you’d hope for based on the advertised ingredients. The Mushroom & Porter didn’t feel in any way compromised to make it vegan friendly, with the filling matching up to the vegetarian and meat based pies comfortably with both depth and nuance to it. Steak and ale showed off plenty of tender meat and a rich gravy while the tang of onion offset the rich cheese in the cheddar and onion pie perfectly. Note as well that the pies utilised a shortcrust pastry base as well as a puff pastry top, the correct construction. The accompanying smoked garlic mash had plenty of garlic punch through it and the gravy topped things off nicely.

This is only going to be available at Spark for the next couple of weeks so be quick if you want to get stuck into some pie action though they’re also available to order for delivery. I’ll be making another visit to Spark shortly and lining up a delivery for later in the year from https://www.yorkshirehandmadepies.co.uk

(Disclaimer – PR visit)

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Time For Bedern Hall

Ben Thorpe — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 16:04:00 +0000

York does well for halls. Between the Merchant Adventurers, Merchant Taylors, Jacobs Well, Folk Hall and the Guildhall we’ve a number of grand buildings ripe to host all manner of events. Arguably a touch less well publicised is Bedern Hall, just off Goodramgate, that has slipped under the radar in building itself up as a dining venue. Now offering regular lunches and evening events, I have to confess it hadn’t really registered with me until I was asked to go along and take a look.

We went along to a Pie and Ale night held on 5th November that offered a selection of bottled beers from nearby Treboom Brewery to complement a choice of pies. Not really sure of what to expect, we arrived to find live music courtesy of the Key Largo Trio giving the relaxed surroundings a nice backdrop.

Looking round the venue was a nice chance to discover one of York’s hidden gems. Perhaps a touch more modest than the larger halls in York, Bedern is packed full of character and holds significant historic links to the Minster. In more recent history, it’s seen action as a bakery and a place for curing meat before restoration rendered it suitable for hosting a wide variety of functions.

The rest of the table were clearly regulars here and a pleasure to chat to while we worked through the provided ice breaking quiz giving vistas from the exits of various York pubs to identify. Racing through the answers a bit more quickly than preferred, it was pie time!

A selection of game, beef or sweet potato & pumpkin ticked every box and nudged me toward beef (prunes in game pie a matter for debate) along with pickled onion, mushy peas and red cabbage. Dutifully stealing some prune-free meat from my wife, I confirmed that it was as superb as the beef I was running with. I didn’t get my hands on the vegetarian option, but I gather despite a touch of inconsistency in the heat it was just as good and not nearly as half-hearted as many vegetarian options.

Sticky toffee pudding underlined the evening nicely along with a bit more of Treboom Hop Brittania. Bedern Hall is a lovely venue that deserves to see a more diverse audience. Pop along to their website and figure out what you can make it to.

Disclaimer: We were invited to attend and review Bedern Hall and didn’t pay for our food.

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Yorkshire Handmade Pies at Spark

Time For Bedern Hall