Venue: Manning’s, 33 Deardengate, Haslingden, Rawtenstall, Lancashire, BB4 5QN
Facebook Site: Manning’s Bakers & Confectioners
Pie: Mini Pork Pie
Temperature as eaten: Cold
Rating: 8.9
Manning’s Bakers and Confectioners of Rossendale have twelve shops across the North West of England, mostly in the Rossendale Valley, but all sandwiched between the M62 and the M65. The one I visited today was located in the small town of Haslingden. Haslingden is quite a special town, as it has more than its fair share of bakeries, butchers and shops that make and sell fantastic pies. Maybe the reason that the pies are so good is just that? There is more competition. One pie seller’s offering have to be better than the other pie sellers’ offerings to be able to attract and keep the business of locals and tourists. Or maybe it’s just people around the area like pies more than any other place I’ve found in the UK. Either way, I don’t really mind what the reason, I’m just glad it’s within easy reach from my home.
So…… to the pie purchased purchase and ate with gusto today from Manning’s. There was, as is usual in these parts, a good selection of pies. The reason I chose their mini Pork Pie was down to a conversation, no, more of a debate, no, more of an argument really about mini pies in general and whether you can get a really tasty mini pie of any sort. My view was that if you picked up a mini pie then the best you were going to get was 75% pastry and 25% filling, and that being the case the overwhelming flavour would be pastry and not the magical combination that is a well-balanced pie where the pasty compliments the filling, not the other way round.
I hold my hand up now and say I was wrong. Well, not totally wrong, full stop, end of argument, but on this particular subject, regarding this particular pie, I was wrong.
The mini pork pie was delicate, had a good amount of filling and was more of a 50:50 ratio. The pastry was light and golden the filling was firm but not solid, a good consistency I thought. There was just the right amount of Jelly in the pie to ensure a moist eat and the filling was nicely seasoned with a good peppery flavour and a small amount of salt. It was a typical mini pie sizes as you can see from the photos, but it had BIG pie flavour.
The Manning’s mini pork pie has changed my perception of mini pies and maybe now I’ll be willing to try a few more examples when on my travels. I’ll definitely put a Manning’s mini pork pie in my pocket for future meanderings.
HF.
#manningsbakery #manningspies #haslingden #craftbaker #cakes #confections #food #pie #pieface #pieoftheday #greattastingpies #britishpieweek #britishpie #porkpie #pork #welovepies #lovepie #pietime #pielover #instapie #minipie #traditionalpie #instafood #snack #britishfood #rawtenstall #lancashire #britishpieassociation
