Venue: The Armoury Pub and Restaurant, Victoria Quay, Victoria Ave., Shrewsbury. SY1 1HH
Web Site: The Armoury
Date: 9th May 2017
Pie: Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie
Rating: 9.1
The Armoury in Shrewsbury is siuatited close to the Welsh Bridge and overlooks the river Severn. During the summer months they have tables outside, and on a balmy evening a very pleasurable meal out can be had sampling their home cooked food and selection of fine hand pumped ales, and in this particular establishment a vast selection of sour mash bourbon and whiskey. The Armoury is part of a chain of pubs and restaurants across the country run by Brunning and Price. I’ve visited several over the last 12 months and the standard of food in all has been high, as was the service from an ever friendly set of staff. The menus vary slightly from location to location but a firm favorite and pretty much constant item on the menu is their Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie. It’s a real cracker!!!
The pie is served with creamy mash, spring greens and tarragon and white wine sauce, all of which are delicious and freshly cooked, but followers of the BPA will know that I do have a penchant for twice cooked chips and the chips at the Brunning & Price establishments are top drawer, so invariably given the option, I have chips with my pie.
As you can see from the photos the pie has a short crust pastry and is made in the typical way with a crimped pastry lid. The filling of Chicken, Ham & Leek is in volume terms the correct order. The chicken is breast and thigh meat so it’s nice and moist, the ham is carved and chunked up from a good thick slice of a ham shank and mixed with just enough leek and white wine and tarragon sauce to keep the pastry crust from being too gummy. The addition of the sauce boat really does top this off nicely and the white wine and tarragon sauce goes really well with the fresh greens and the chips so a real taste explosion all round.
As I said at the beginning, the staff are always friendly and helpful here so if you want one of more of the accompaniment to the Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie changing they are happy to listen and oblige whenever possible. Just an aside, I’d recommend a pint of Three Tuns Pale Ale to wash it all down, a great combination.
HF.
