Great North Pie Co: Lancashire Cheese and Onion Pie

I’ve had previous with these chaps, I featured the Boxing Day Turkey Curry Pie in Life of Pies. I’ve always fancied their Lancashire Cheese and Onion Pie but it has always eluded me. Or rather, I have chosen a meat based option.

At the time, and I don’t know if this is still the case, they used to do a changing menu every quarter featuring four rotating pies with innovative flavours. As I recall, they did a pie with nettles in it once, ouch!!

Anyway, this one was purchased from Booths and although I can’t remember if it was identified as a Great North Pie Co pie (that’s a mouthful!) it has an unmistakeable shape and hand finished crimp to it.

The crust has a dried cheese topping and upon opening up, it is no surprise to find, cheese, cheese and more cheese, and possibly some onion. The casing is perfectly even throughout and is a sturdy enough crust to be eaten by hand.

Now I may be biased as I come from Lancashire. By that, I mean I love all manner of cheese (WHO DOESN’T??) and this is among my favourites.

It’s soft, crumbly texture and sweet full flavoured aftertaste melts in the mouth even before it is cooked, so you can imagine how delicious it is on toast or even in a pie. The addition of onion gives it a slightly darker yellow hue to it, invitingly offering you in to its succulent filling.

Great North Pie Co Lancashire Cheese and Onion Pie, RRP £4

Presentation 8. Very visually appealing top crust and great shape to it

Place 8. Purchased from Booths, where the service is always exceptional, though they also operate out of Altrincham Market Hall and have a shop and café in the Lake District. They also supply numerous farm shops and retailers throughout the North

Pastry 8. Decoratively appealing and a robust casing and easily portable if you are prepared to suck a bit of lovely cheese out

Filling 9. Terrific soft chunks of Lancashire cheese, adequate levels of filling but it is so more-ish it goes too quickly

Taste 8.5. If cheese pies are your thing, then you struggle to taste a better one

Portion 8. it’s not huge but it is definitely towards the gourmet side of the pie market, indeed all the GNPC pies are

Price (Value) 8. Four quid but the sort of pie that if it was served up in a pub with chips and veg and pay a tenner for and be delighted with it

Total 57.5/70 A distinctive GNP signature casing, gives way to a package which contains more cheese than a 70’s theme pub. And the rest of their range isn’t bad either, Fourteen hour braised beef and ale pie anyone? Mmmmm….

Visit the Great North Pie Co website: https://greatnorthpie.co/

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