Pie Review: Lord of the Pies

This week, my Friday pie was furnished by Lord of the Pies in Macclesfield. The venue has the atmosphere of a hip cafe, with large windows and worn wooden tables, and the pun in the name is pretty good, so I had high hopes for my meal.

As you can see from the menu (click on the image to see a larger version), the creators of Lord of the Pies haven’t skimped on options. I was delighted by the creativity of the fillings – there really does seem to be something for everyone.

Personally, I couldn’t look past the Macc Pie (beef stew, Lyonnaise potatoes, and locally brewed ale). For only £4 it seemed too good to be true – and it was. Neither potatoes, nor vegetables, nor even gravy was included in the price, and my meal ended up costing about £8.50 – still not bad, but not nearly as good.

Filling: The filling was a little dry for my taste, needing a good amount of gravy on top to achieve the proper moistness. The ale, however, was delicious, and the beef was just tender enough – but, as I say, a little dry.

Crust: Fine. There was not a great deal to distinguish this pastry from a supermarket’s finest ready rolled. I did appreciate that each pie seemed to have a slightly different crust to complement its filling – for example, the Pulled Chicken Balti had some spices sprinkled on top.

Gravy: Having begrudgingly paid extra for gravy, I expected a Titanic gravy boat; I got a dinghy. I don’t think it’s overstating things to say I was scandalised, shaken to my very core, by the entire gravy situation.

Sides: The sides, too, were fairly dear. That said, I very much liked the different options of mash, and mushy peas with pie should be a global standard.

Atmosphere: As I said in my opening monologue, the joint had a pretty hip, youth-friendly atmosphere. This is refreshing in the world of pies, where a lot of the best venues are village pubs – often both less accessible and less welcoming.

Overall Expierience: 4/10

Whilst the choice of pie was excellent and I enjoyed the general atmosphere, the pie itself was only average, and in my book it is completely unacceptable to charge for gravy. Indeed, the supplement for gravy and sides turned a very reasonably priced pie into a rather costly meal.

I’d say it’s worth a visit if you’re in the Macclesfield area, but, because of the gravy travesty, I’m not rushing to go back.

(Disclaimer: I wrote this post a few months ago. The owners may have seen the light and stopped charging for gravy since then.)

Advertisement