Steak and Guinness Pie @ The Durham Castle Arms Pub (Kingston, ACT)

Ah, September. The weather’s warming up, the footy finals are on. On a September evening following a round of drinking, me and my companion ventured to the Durham Castle Arms Pub in Kingson for a bite, some more drink, and the opportunity to watch a game o’ footy.

A Guinness procured, we perused the food menu. I noticed the presence of a pie — a Steak and Guinness Pie ($28, served with mashed potatoes and gravy), to be precise, and thought that would be just the ticket. Readers of the blog will be across previous pub-pies from jaunts to the UK. I was intrigued about how an Australian pub would compare.

The pie came over — a big beast of a thing, definitely not the typical pie one would find in a local bakery. It was a lovely golden-brown, craggly on top, a decent serving of mash on the side, a large thing of brown gravy, some wholegrain mustard and chutney added on the side of the plate too.

I took little time getting stuck in, a mighty hunger having developed from a day’s work and a beer aperitif or two (or three). The pastry was ok but a fair bit undercooked in parts. The pastry was quite thick and, evidently, this was a bit too much for it to have cooked through.

The filling was a chunky beef, with big bits of chunky steak residing within the thick pastry. This was nice quality meat, cooked to tender. The flavour profile was fairly unsophisticated, the Guinness did not come through too strongly, though it was perfectly nice enough. There was some onion in there as well, giving it a slight sweetness.

There were some technical elements that could be improved upon: a less thick pastry that is cooked through, perhaps a better meat-to-pastry ratio, a bit of a more complex gravy within the pie itself. The gravy and mash on the side was nice though nothing spectacular, and I’d prefer the gravy within the pie itself to be richer. The mustard and chutney on the side was unnecessary though inoffensive. All that said, it certainly hit the spot and was a lovely accompaniment to the Guinness.

The Durham Castle Arms Pub is a fairly standard pub in Canberra’s inner south. I understand that pies are not permanently on the menu but appear occasionally (I think this one had some connection to some Guinness-related activities and events that were going on). A decent place to catch up with some friends over a drink or two (or three).

Plain Pie @ Chiltern Bakery (Chiltern, Vic)

Another trip down the Hume Highway saw me once again venturing off briefly for some nourishment. On this occasion my timing saw me in the vicinity of the small Victorian town of Chiltern, which I understand from Wikipedia to be the childhood haunt of Barrie Cassidy (as well as the winning clip of the 2009 J Award for Best Music Video of the Year, Alex Roberts’ video for Art vs. Science’s “Parlez-vous Français?”).

After relieving myself at a nearby public facility (and reporting the state of said facilities to the local authorities) I ventured onto the main street. It was a sleepy Saturday in Chiltern and this quietness was also present at the Chiltern Bakery. No doubt this was compounded by the relatively late hour of the day — at least so far as bakery is concerned.

I sidled up to the counter and took a look at what remained on offer. There was a bit left and the person in front of me appeared to be receiving an explanation of each and every pie. I heard the mention of ‘plain’ and thought that, when it came to be my turn, I’d keep it simple and duly request said Plain Pie ($6.00). My pie was handed to me on a plate, per my indication that I would be dining in on this occasion. I ambled over to a couch and took my seat.

The pie was a square variety and was a nice golden brown colour on top, the pastry flaking. I picked up the pie and got stuck in, for the long drive had built up quite the hunger.

The pastry was somewhat buttery but fairly plain, sturdy enough — nothing too much to note. The meat was of the minced variety swimming in a deep brown gravy. The meat and gravy was well-seasoned. Its overall flavour profile was smooth and mild, with some sweetness and iron going on too.

This was overall an enjoyable pie though, as the name suggests, plain. It did exactly what it needed to do — sort out my highway-driving-induced hunger but was otherwise nothing to write home about.

Chiltern seems a cute town, and the Chiltern Bakery seems appropriately cute within it. A nice range of meat pies, pastries, and other baked goods, with some comfortable indoor seating options.

Plain Pie @ LL Bakery & Cafe (Fyshwick, ACT)

I ventured out to the Fyshwick Markets one weekend in the hope of finding some Estonian beer. I did not find any Estonian beer. But I did find pie.

Yes, while I had some optimism that I would be able to find the malted barley beverage that I so desired, I appreciated that I might well not and had thought that, in visiting at lunchtime, the journey could be saved with some pastry.

So after the beer failure, I took a walk around the markets before finally settling on LL Bakery & Cafe, a fairly non-descript little venture in a corner of the markets. I hurried on inside to look at what they had and thought I’d keep it simple with a plain pie ($6). My companion sourced a vegetarian curry pie and we both took a seat outside.

The pie was fairly standard but had a pronounced puff on the top pastry. Otherwise, it was a nice enough golden colour, a bit blonder around the sides. I was pretty hungry from walking around the markets so didn’t take too long to get into it.

The pastry was buttery and there was a pretty good thickness and ratio going on. As I progresses through the pie, however, I noticed that the top pastry was a bit underdone on the bottom — the top had puffed up as I presume was intended but the bottom layers had not really cooked through (though it was fine to eat). I didn’t really go for the extra-puff on top.

The pie proper was warm rather than hot. The filling was chopped up steak rather than the usual mince meat. It took on a greyish-brown hue. It was seasoned simply — seemingly just salt and perhaps a bit of pepper, though nothing too noticeable — but reasonably well. The meat itself was of a reasonable quality too — the occasional gristly here and there but nothing unpleasant. It was tasty though there was a curious sweetness to it. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it — it might have been the underdone pastry rather than the filling itself.

In summary, the pie was decent enough but nothing special — it very much lived up to its name of a ‘plain’ pie. I was satisfied overall but would’ve probably preferred a more conventional pastry top and could have done with a richer, more indulgent, perhaps more savoury meat and gravy filling.

My companion remarked that the vegetarian curry pie was pretty generic — the usual ‘any vegetables in a curry sauce’ proposition — without any more enticing concept.

LL Bakery & Cafe offers a range of pastries, as well as Vietnamese food. In hindsight, the latter might be a better option here, though from my experience the pies are perfectly serviceable if that’s what you’re after.

Four’n Twenty Pie @ the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Melbourne, Vic)

Hello Pie Blog, my old friend … I’ve come to post on you again.

Note that this concerns events which took place in December 2024 — I am somewhat behind in updating the blog (though with this I am now up to date).

I found myself in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test, what fun, what fun! And, having enjoyed a visit the day prior for Day 4, I and a companion decided to head into town to check out Day 5, making the most of the discounted tickets.

We made it in a bit after the lunch break and took our seats in one of the upper stands of a ‘G. The stadium was full to the brim, full of excited sports fans awaiting a great ending to the see-sawing cricketing contest which was reaching its climax, its apotheosis, its denoument.

However, the overs went by in the second session without much to note. The game appeared to be careening inexorably towards a draw.

In amongst it all, the tea break came and offered a chance for a refreshment. I set off to procure a couple of bevvies for the boys, and a bite to eat for m’self. The lines were predictably substantial. When I eventually got to the end of the line (or the start, depending on one’s perspective), I was met with some fairly limited options. But there it was — a Four’n Twenty Classic Meat Pie (didn’t take notice of the price but I gather from some internet searches that it was around $6.20). There was no hesitation on my part — today, I would savour a classic.

I approached the matter with some trepidation. I’d had my fair share of frozen Four’n Twenty pies baked in the oven at home in my youth, and was ultimately always underwhelmed when compared with the product one gets at a bakery. My passion was forged not through these pies but those obtained at the local shops. Nevertheless, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it another go.

I got back to my seat and opened the light plastic packaging to reveal a golden brown pastry. The pie felt good in my hand — sturdy, unlikely to be a messy experience, which was good in the circumstances. I took a bite.

Everything was broadly as I remembered. The pastry could have been more seasoned and more flaky, but it was decent enough. The meat and gravy on the inside was fine too, though fairly bland and uninteresting. The flavour of the pie was very much of one-note, no complexity at all — this was a basic pie. Again, some more seasoning would have done the trick, and something else just to elevate it. It’s quite hard to put my finger on the flavour profile but one the word that comes to mind is dark. This is a brooding pie, the insides a dark brown, it lacks the life and bon viveur that one finds in most freshly-baked, not-mass-produced pies. But all in all, this pie was decent enough in the circumstances and an overall enjoyable experience (enhanced not only by the beet but also from the right team winning the day in a most enjoyable fashion).

Fun enough to have a pie at the cricket but I’m not going to make Four’n Twenty pies a regular thing. This instead served a reminder of how fabulous a good pie from the local bakery is, and why I think the trips to said purveyors of pastry produce is a fine thing, whether that be a deliberate trip, or an incidental visit en route to some other destination. Pies.

Rutherglen Red Pie @ Parker Pies (Rutherglen, Vic)

Hello Pie Blog, my old friend … I’ve come to post on you again.

Note that this concerns events which took place in December 2024 — I am somewhat behind in updating the blog.

My companian and I were making our way down the Hume Highway on a hot summer’s day, en route to Melbourne. On this occasion, however, we opted for a slight detour just across the border. We got off the highway and made our way to the town of Rutherglen, wherein one will find Parker Pies.

Parker Pies had been on my list for some time but its location off the highway meant that it hadn’t come up previously. That changed this day, as the stars (and timing) aligned to make this our stop for a bit of lunch.

The place was very busy, having just reopened after the Christmas break. The time standing in line afforded an opportunity to check out the range of pies and other pastries available, all conveyed on a digital menu above the counter. A few things took my fancy but I couldn’t go past the Rutherglen Red ($12.95), described as ‘tender chunks of beef, slowly cooked in a rich mushroom and red wine sauce’. I gather from my notes that it allegedly won some contest in 2019.

This was more than enough for me — I promptly ordered one, and an iced coffee, when my turn came. M’companion ordered a Vegetarian pie ($9.90, ‘garden vegetables in a sweet chili & tasty cheese sauce’). We collected our pies (or perhaps they were delivered to us, I can’t recall exactly) and took a seat.

The pie was in an unorthodox, rectangular shape, not dissimilar in construction to a pasty. Its top was a burnished brown-hold, craggly, flaky, festooned with poppy seeds. I most excitedly took my first bite.

The pastry was very nice, as expected. Savoury, buttery, flaky — if I was looking for a salty snack, this would have fit the bill by itself. Definitely a top-tier pastry.

It only got better from there. The beef was indeed chunky and tender — very tender, in fact. This was plainly a high-quality meat, cooked very well. It was swimming in a sauce which was indeed quite rich but not at all overpowering. The red wine flavour came through clearly and sweetly, and it provided a gorgeous colour to the pie. The mushrooms were also clearly there, providing a pleasing texture and flavour to complement the richer, heartier beef. I expect the seasoning could have been improved marginally with a touch extra pepper for spice and salt for all that meat, but it was very hard to fault this pie (and I see no reason to do so). This was juicy, fragrant, delicious — a most exquisite pie.

My companion was less thrilled with the vegetarian offering. It was ‘broadly well-executed’ and ‘the pastry was delicious’ but it was ‘about as good as you’d expect for something described as being in a sweet chilli and tasty cheese sauce’. This appeared to be a grab-bag of vegetables indiscriminately combined (broccoli, potato, carrot, capsicum, corn, cauliflower, etc.) which, while ‘nicely done for what it is’, might have been improved through focusing on a particular combination of ingredients or flavour profile, rather than taking a ‘with-the-lot’ approach.

Parker Pies sells a wide range of pies (standard and premium offerings), and some other pastries (at least sausage rolls), at their store in Rutherglen. It is a most efficient operation, with plenty of seating indoors for those looking to get away from the summer heat (I think they might have also had an outside area in the back but did not go that far). An excellent option if one finds oneself in Rutherglen (which, sadly, is rarely the case for me).

Beef Rib, Shin and Brisket Pie @ The Porcupine (London, UK)

Hello Pie Blog, my old friend … I’ve come to post on you again.

Note that this concerns events which took place in October 2024 — I am somewhat behind in updating the blog.

My final day of a month-long sojourn in Europe touring primarily through the Axis countries, I returned to the Allied stronghold of London for the flight home. But my business was not yet done, for there was time enough for a visit to a local public house — The Porcupine (a Nicholson’s pub).

I ventured into The Porcupine and made enquiries of food and drink. A pint of Nicholson’s Pale Ale soon manifested before I made my way upstairs to the dining area. There to greet me was a fellow whom I would later find out was a fellow antipodean (Rhys/Reece (etc.) originally of Sydney, soon to be of Brisbane), alongside a couple visiting from the United States (Pam and Richard, both hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, though it was noted that Pam was originally from Texas).

Anyway, I sat myself down and perused the menu. I had already contemplated that this would be an ideal opportunity to try one of the local pies, having had one on a previous visit in 2023. I saw on offer a Beef Rib, Shin and Brisket Pie (£22; approx. $44 AUD at time of purchase — a much more expensive option than usual but accompanied by mashed potatoes, roast carrots, and gravy) and thought that this premium offering was just the ticket.

Beef Rib, Shin and Brisket Pie from The Porcupine

The pie arrived after not too short a wait. Not the usual pie to appear on this blog of course, having only the piecrust top rather than being a fully encased pie. That crust appeared flaky and golden, a beef bone peered through, an enticing proposition. I tucked in.

The Porcupine’s Beef Rib, Shin and Brisket Pie

The pastry was indeed soft and flaky, buttery and savoury. But the real winner here was the meat inside which was quite marvellous. This was by no means fine dining but it was exactly what I was looking for. The beef was tender and rich, the red wine sauce lovely, everything seasoned to perfection. The additional gravy was not at all necessary but added even more richness and flavour to the dish, the mashed potatoes and carrot a lovely sideshow to the main event. The experience was made all the more enjoyable through the refreshing cask ale that followed the pie down my gullet, and the bonhomie between myself, the Americans, and my fellow Australian.

A most excellent pie, and a most excellent experience. Of course, it comes at a premium price, but that is largely to be expected in London (and if you tell yourself that you’re paying $22 instead of £22, it doesn’t seem quite so bad).

The Porcupine is a picturesque pub near Leicester Square and various tourist traps, featuring a charming drinking area on the ground floor and a lovely dining area above. They appear to offer a number of pies, including the British Steak & Nicholson’s Pale Ale Pie, which was apparently awarded gold at the ‘British Pie Awards’.

Traditional Beef Pie @ Batehaven Bakehouse (Batehaven, NSW)

Hello Pie Blog, my old friend … I’ve come to post on you again.

Note that this concerns events which took place in July 2024 — I am somewhat behind in updating the blog.

On the way back from a weekend trip to the coast, me and my companion thought the best way to break our fast on the cool and crisp wintery morning would be with some warming, nourishing pastries.

And so it was that we made our way to the Batehaven Bakehouse. On entering the shop, an array of options presented themselves. It had been a while since my last pie, and it was just the wee hours of the morning, so I thought it best to opt for something simple and … traditional. Yes, the Traditional (Beef) Pie ($6) was what I desired.

Traditional Pie from Batehaven Bakehouse

I paid for the pie and a coffee and took a seat at a table. The pie was oval-shaped and a light golden-brown in colour. I was quite hungry and so wasted little time admiring it –time to crack in. I took the first bite. The pastry was sturdy and buttery, though perhaps a bit underseasoned. Of course, pie pastry is largely functional and there to complement the filling. But it should also be sufficiently seasoned on its own to ensure that every bite satisfies.

The meat itself was a conventional (or, traditional) filling of minced meat. The meat seemed to be of pretty good quality, without any gristle or other undesirables. The flavour was all very mild. I would have liked a bit more punch — for it to be a bit beefier, with a richer gravy, and with a bit more seasoning. But, all in all, this was an adequate and satisfying pie experience, washed down with a milky coffee.

Batehaven Bakehouse is otherwise a fairly conventional country bakery, with a variety of pies and other baked goods to pick from. The range and prices all seemed reasonable and there sufficient seating in store to make for an enjoyable pitstop. A fine option if visiting the south coast.

Mince Steak Pie @ Hot Bake (Albury, NSW)

I found myself in Albury for my last pie of the year. Initially, there was disappointment–my number one choice was closed (not too surprising given the time of the year). So my companion and I charted a course to an alternative and duly made our way to Hot Bake.

We got there relatively late in the day and the options were limited accordingly (a positive sign insofar as turnover is concerned). Having made enquiries about what was available, I settled upon the plain Meat Steak Pie ($7), as well as a flat white to accompany it. We took a seat in the seating area outside and I got stuck in.

The pie was oval and a good size. It looked structurally sound, with a sturdy base, and was brown and flaky on top. So far, so good. But what of taste? I took my first bite.

The pastry was plain but that was no problem–it was a fine accompaniment for the well-seasoned meat and gravy. This was, of course, a mince meat pie. There was some gristle but no major issues. The quality of meat was most acceptable. And there was no problems with flavour–again, the dark brown filling was well-seasoned (very important), with a hint of pepper. There was some iron notes with the smell and taste of the meat. I bought a plain steak mince pie and a plain steak mince pie was what I got.

Looking back on other pies from 2023, the price was on the higher side. However, the $7 got me a most substantial pie, certainly a meal more than a snack. I was most satisfied with the expierence.

Hot Bake sells a range of pies and the other usual baked goods. It’s situated in a pleasant enough part of Albury and there appears to be two other locations nearby–one in Wodonga and another in Lavington. My notes say ‘bathroom’–I haven’t a clue what this is a reference to, as about a month has passed since I went but I can’t remember anything negative so can only assume I went to the bathroom and it was fine. Anyway, Hot Bake is perfectly pleasant and, most importantly, was open when I went.

Plain Meat Pie @ Gundagai Bakery (Gundagai, NSW)

Another day, another long road trip. On this occasion I was in the vicinity of Gundagai at around lunchtime and thought I might stop for a bite. Some prior research had identified the Gundagai Bakery had a decent enough reputation. Not only that, but it is apparently quite old–the internet advises it originally opened in 1864 and may be Australia’s oldest working bakery. But how are the pies?

I strode on in and surveyed the situation. Pies available–very good, very good. There was, however, no list of pies, nor an indication of how much they cost. Free pies–not bad, not bad. Alas, that was not to be–there was some sort of monitor which would flash up the different kinds of products. I got a quick preview of the pies and decided I would keep it simply and go for the ‘Plain Meat Pie’ ($5.15–I also bought an iced coffee milk beverage, so I had to enquire about the precise price of the pie. The small child serving me kindly obliged.) It took a moment for any of the staff to become free. As I’ve already mentioned, one was a small child. She was struggling to put some plastic lid over a cake. Anyway, she eventually sorted it, with the assistance of the customer, and attention turned to me. Slight hiccup with the payment–they had a sticker suggesting they accepted American Express, yet this turned out to be nothing less than a bald-faced lie. Oh well. A tap of the Mastercard later and I was off and racing.

I say racing–between the time I entered and got the thing, the outside seating had all been taken. So I started wandering around aimlessly until I arrived at a park. The seating options were uninspiring, so I just sat on the grass–aka nature’s seat. My tush cushioned by mother gaia, I got cracking.

The pie was oval, the pastry soft when I touched it, but not undercooked. I did caution myself about structural integrity issues that might emerge. The pie was warm, but not hot. The pastry was enticingly flaky on top. I didn’t much care for sitting on the grass, in fact, and had places to be, so I was quick to get it down my gob.

Before I had entirely snaffled it, I took note of various aspects. The pastry was a bit understeasoned and bland but not offensive. The structural issues ultimately didn’t emerge, no pie was spilled this day. The meat was your straightforward mince filling swimming in gray. The meat seemed fairly good quality, no gristle to be found, and had a beefy (shocking, I know), irony character. There was a hint of pepper but nothing too eccentric. Flavour-wise, the gravy was quite nice, but it tasted as if it was slightly over-seasoned with beef stock, it was a bit too much. But much better than being under. The pie was a nice size, though that didn’t stop me from finishing it in a matter of moments. Ultimately, a bit of a basic offering and nothing special, but it hit the spot before I hit the road.

Ultimately a satisfying experience. I am intrigued by the increase in the price of pies–from recent efforts, this seems to be about right at the lower end of the pie price spectrum, albeit still more than what I recall form years gone by. Anyway, I just mention that in passing, not to whinge about coin.

Gundagai Bakery is certainly an old bakery on an unassuming, pleasant street in Gundagai. It has the usual fare on offer, including victoria sponge cake that is evidently difficult for small children to package. A decent enough, standard country town bakery. Won’t set your world on fire, but they do have pies, so there’s that.

Plain Steak Pie @ Huey’s Bakehouse (Scoresby, Vic)

I was back in Australia–the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, to be precise–and immediately had a hankering for some local pie. So I made my way down to the local shops to see what I could get my hands on.

I couldn’t go past Huey’s Bakehouse, a venue whose wares I had tasted many a time, but not for years. This was to be a return, a trip down memory lane. But with nostalgia comes risk–the risk that it wouldn’t be as I remembered.

Anyway, I case aside my apprehension for a moment, strode confidently inside the shop, and requested a Plain Steak Pie ($5.20–almost certainly more expensive that I can recall but not over the top). On receipt, me and my companion went to a nearby seating area to enjoy what happened to be our breakfast.

The pie was square, nice and flaky on top, though a bit blonde on the sides. Notwithstanding that, it was a sturdy construction. I was much too hungry to continue admiring the look of the pie and wasted no time getting stuck in.

The minced beef filling was meaty, accompanied by a well-seasoned gravy. There was a nice peppery kick to it. The meat quality itself was pretty good with only a bit of gristle at the end but nothing untoward. Notwithstanding inital concerns, the pie held together quite well, facilitating a stress-free gorging experence. In all, a very tasty, uncomplicated pie. Sure, there was room for improvement for both pastry and filling but, ultimately, this was a very serviceable pie that I would happily eat again (and again). In fact, that’s basically what I did once upon a time (if again and again means about once a week).

My companion was most excited to have a go at the Cauliflower and Broccoli Pie. This was described as having a creamy sauce and was ‘well cooked’ (presumably cooked well rather than overcooked). T’was a creamy pie, some sort of cauliflower-bechamel arrangement going on with a soupçon (note: companion said ‘hint’ but I think soupçon is more pretentious and, therefore, better). As with the Plain Steak, there was good structural integrity notwithstanding the wetness. The verdict? ‘Good–I liked it!’

Huey’s Bakehouse is a staple of the Scoresby Village Shops, offering a variety of baked goods, inclusive of pies, pastries, and bread. There’s a sizeable in-store seating area as well as plenty of nearby spaces with a bit of green. Give it a go.