Of Pasties & Pies

As I said yesterday evening I drove up to the Stretton Fox, near Warrington, today to meet Jane and Kevin, as usual on our customary half-way-point pick up between Carnforth and here in Rachub. As the Wainwrights ale was off, I chose a pint of the estimable Timothy Taylor's Landlord bitter instead, and I was not disappointed: it was in particularly fine fettle and was obviously in the sweet spot of the barrel. It's no great surprise that the establishment has been awarded prizes from the Brewery for its keeping of their ales: splendid stuff. For supper tonight, we contented ourselves with a couple of Cornish pasties [stock picture of such above] Jane bought from a butchers in Kirkby Lonsdale the day before last, which we revived in the air-fryer to great effect: can't speak too highly of the device; it does so many things so well.

Cornish Pasties, like pork pies, however, can be a bit of a minefield in the search for a decent example [a bit like getting a good pint of real ale, these days], and whilst up until relatively recently I would have said the best pasty I had ever tasted was indeed in Cornwall, back in the early seventies, I would have to say that the summa cum laude belongs to Swain's butchers and delicatessen in Menai Bridge, Ynys Môn: their take on the classic being truly sublime in all respects, if a tad refined in execution for traditionalists' tastes: a whole galaxy or two apart from the likes of Ginsters, et al. And as for their pork, apple and sage raised pies: if you can get one when it's still warm with the liquor yet to set, by God, they're heavenly...