There are many queens in Bristol, Burger, Pizza, Beer, all of them spreading the fine word of their chosen queendoms of food. Me? I’m, a pie queen. Stick something in pastry and I am all over it like ketchup on chips. Meat, veggie, fruit, doesn’t matter to me, as long as it’s within arm’s length.
So to have missed Pieminister Pie Week last month was a real shame, I was in Scotland having a break (the post on where I ate etc is coming, I’ve just been lazy getting my writing going in 2019) but knowing how keen I am on their grub, I was invited along when I got back to have a nose at their new menu.
My pie-partner and I grabbed a table near the window, I ordered a pint of Pieminister Pie-P-A (made by those chaps at Frontier), a refreshing and crisp IPA that was perfect for a warm evening and opted for the March special, a very spring feeling “Lady Baa Baa”, a pie stuff with lamb, red wine, veggies and rosemary. This I paired with a healthy dollop of cheesy mash, BBQ beans and onion rings to share.
Here is the bit that will lose readers, I don’t like gravy.
This doesn’t usually cause me any great problems unless it’s Sunday and my roast dinner comes drowned in it rather than served on the side, but after ordering, there was a mild panic my lovely pie and mash would come swimming in the stuff. Thank goodness I didn’t have to worry as Pieminister regard their customers as grown adults who can choose how wet they want their food to be, serving their gravy in small boats alongside the mains.
The onion rings were crisp, non-greasy and seasoned well with sweet onion tasting great against the table top spicy ketchup Pieminster provide. The beans had a great smoky taste and were quite dry compared to their tinned cousins due to being, what I assume, oven baked, for me, they went really well with the cheesy mash throne my pie proudly sat atop.
The lamb pie was of course, and rightly the star, generous chunks of naturally sweet lamb enclosed in a shortcrust pastry that flaked under my knife. The vegetables were described as root, I would suggest that the enclosed peas are not root vegetables as opposed to the carrot and onions, but peas and lamb are a match made in heaven so I will let it slide. The red wine gravy (gravy in things is fine, I don’t like gravy on things) was rich and silky and tied the whole thing together like a good rug in a room.
As usual, Pieminister left me feeling full and satisfied with a vague feeling of nostalgia for childhood teas. Pie, mash and beans is a still a staple in my house but it’s always comforting to know I can head down the road and have my favourite dinner with a bit of a fancy twist should I feel the urge.
Watch out for the April special, details TBC as of writing.
**Please note this meal was received free of charge but did not impact my review regardless of what some people think, scouts honour**
Bedsit Bonne Vivante 