It is said that you never talk of a ‘Cornish pasty’ in Cornwall. It’s always referred to simply as a pasty…

The delicious savoury parcel is a meal in itself, and doesn’t need to be accompanied by anything – other than a nice cup of tea. The vegetables within, comprising onions, potatoes and swede (called turnip in Cornwall), must be sliced. The meat, usually skirt or chuck steak, should be chopped. The filling always goes into the pasty raw, and baking takes upwards of an hour during which time the filling steams and its flavours blend together – acting to form a gravy.

Even in Cornwall there is no consensus as to what type of pastry makes the best pasty. Some say short, others that rough puff pastry is better. Both schools agree that the texture has to be firm enough to hold the filling without cracking or splitting (to be strong enough to endure being dropped down a mine shaft). Traditionally the pasty would be held by the crimped edge, which would be discarded at the end of the meal having become dirty.

The earliest references to pasties date back to the 13th Century, and they have been exported around the world in various forms – wherever Cornish people go pasties soon follow.

The oldest remaining bakers of authentic Melton Mowbray Pork Pies in the town centre today are Dickinson & Morris, who have been baking pork pies there since 1851. After being refurbished after a fire in 1992 their shop – or as they call it “Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe” – can be visited on Nottingham Street. The shop celebrated its 150th Anniversary of pork pie making in 2001, and I am sure not many shops can match that!

While other pork pies exist the authentic Melton Mowbray Pork Pie has a distinct look and taste, and some might say a distinct reputation – though I am not sure what type of reputation a pork pie might have.

The sides of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie are bow-shaped (as they are hand raised and baked free standing), using fresh pork, and topped up with jelly before being left to cool. Woe betide anyone who bites into a pie before it is sufficiently cooled as the jelly will quickly escape.

While Dickinson & Morris supply a number of different supermarket chains around the UK with pork pies, and they can be bought online too, the freshness of the pies from their shop in Melton Mowbray cannot be beaten.

Some might be concerned that a pork pie might not go well with a cup of tea, please be rest assured that the finest hot beverage goes well with all quality edible produce…