Yorkshire Dales food blog


The Pork Pie Challenge – who makes the best pork pies?
November 19, 2008, 7:09 pm
Filed under: Eating, Food, Yorkshire Dales Food | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the interest of research I have decided to willingly face the grueling task of endlessly testing and tasting the best of the best, Great British Pork Pie.

I will start with the Yorkshire Dales (should be plenty there to keep me going for a while & we can always increase the test area later!)  and my first report will be on those scrumptious pie makers from Pateley Bridge – T Kendall & Sons.

You will have to check back for the results as they are still in the fridge! but a scientific tasting session will follow very soon…..    Mmmm

Well the pies have been scoffed tested with the following observations:-

  • Pork & Mushy Pea Pie – excellent pork and the green of the mushy peas looked well in the top of the pie but doesn’t taste any different to a normal pork pie, excellent all the same. 99p
  • Pork & Apple Pie – very nice combination of excellent solid pork filling with very little jelly and a nice sweet/savoury mixture. 99p
  • Pork, Stuffing & Apple Pie – or Farmhouse Pie, lovely layered effect when the pie is sliced, good short pastry, just enough apple and a nice layer of stuffing between two layers of pork, lovely stuffing flavour, excellent pie. 99p
  • Pork & Pickle Pie – nice pickle smell, pie qualities as others but with a nice sweet chutney/pickle flavour, yummy… 99p
  • Steak Plate Pie – a big family pie and full of big chunks of quality steak, no bits of fat and very good gravy and pastry. £4.75 excellent value easily feeds a hungry family of four.

General observations on Kendall’s of Pateley Bridge Pies, Very well filled, solid, no air space, very little jelly with a thin, crisp short pastry.  Also additional flavourings added to the pie rather than completely smothering the quality pork pie, all made and baked on the premises with meat from own on site butchery.

The 10 year old assistant tester gave the pork & pickle and pork & mushy pea pies a thumbs up and said “100%, 5 stars and 10 out of 10″ !  great praise indeed…  He wouldn’t touch the ones with Apple “coz that’s minging”!


4 Comments so far
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I have to say Botham’s of Whitby (especially ‘et ‘ot, sinfully early in the morning) take some beating.

Comment by lunartalks

Thanks for the tip, I will seek them out and try them!

Comment by paganum

Hird’s of Keighley (on Queen’s Road – an excellent local butcher) do superb pies. Worth a detour if you’re passing through the Aire Valley.

Comment by TIW

Thanks for the tip will seek them out! Also love your blog Ten Inch Wheeler Cheers Chris

Comment by paganum




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