After many unfortunate delays Trev, Nick, Si, and Joe met for the 5th meeting of the Pie Club at The Barleycorn Inn, Bishops Waltham, a fine local pub which we should visit more often.
Doug failed to turn up for this meeting, offering some excuse about having to go to hospital, so he will of course have to pay the usual forfeit at our next meeting.
Trev and Joe arrived early at 11.30 in order to take advantage of the happy hour, which runs from 11:00 to 12:00 every weekday. Simon arrived at 11:58, just in time to buy the 2nd round of Ringwood Best 3.8%. at the reduced price of £2.50/pt (normal price £3.20). We all agreed that this was a fine pint of beer, and stuck with it for the remainder of the session (other beers available were Old Speckled Hen 4.5% and Greene King IPA 3.6% ), although unfortunately the barman Sean was quick to point out to us that we weren't able to buy beers in advance at the reduced price for consumption after 12:00, and once the clock turned 12:00 we had to pay full price. Despite this, we were very impressed by Sean, who continued to give good service at all times.
Nick joined us at 12:30. After a 3rd pint we ordered the pie. There was only one pie available, but it had been especially prepared for us that day after a request from Joe. It was a minced beef with stilton pie, made with suet pastry:
It was served with (frozen) peas and chips (or mashed potatoes) and gravy, to make a fine looking plateful:
The food was brought to our table by the excellent Sean, and it was piping hot. Inexplicably, the pie was garnished with a sprig of parsley: Most of us didn't know what to do with this - Si was the only one to eat his (He was brought up to eat whatever is put in front of him).
A number of comments were made about the pie:
- The suet pastry was lovely, but it was a controversial choice.
- The filling was lovely, but the use of minced beef instead of chunky meat was another controversial choice.
- The taste of the Stilton was barely discernable.
Despite this, we all thought that the pie was delicious, so perhaps we were just being a bit too traditionalist. We need to keep an open mind about such things. The vegetables were fine, and the gravy was very tasty. The servings was more than ample in size.
There was a huge array of puddings available. The ever-excellent Sean even brought us a supplementary pudding menu to consider. Despite being full of pie, we couldn't resist them.
Trev had flaked chocolate cookies with ice cream:
Nick had Hot Whisky & Marmalade Sponge with Custard:
Joe had cheese & biscuits:
Si had good old Spotted Dick with Custard, inexplicably garnished with a sprig of mint (which he didn't eat):
The puddings were all very large and delicious.
The ambience of the pub was very good:our hosts Marie and Pete came and chatted with us, which is always a nice touch; the pub was busy but not too crowded; Sean the barman gave excellent service; the table service was good; the pub was clean; and there were no unnecessary distractions such as music or fruit machines. We especially liked the Happy Hour. We didn't get an itemised bill. but the puddings were around £4 each, and the pies were around £8 each We felt that was very good value for money.
Scores (max. 5 in each category, 25 overall):
- Pastry 4.375
- Filling 3.75
- Beer 4.125
- Ambience 4.25
- Value 3.875
- Overall 20.375
So The Barleycorn leaps into 2nd place in our rankings, just behind the Bowman. Well done Marie, Pete and Sean.
Pie Man's true identity has to remain a closely guarded secret in order to protect him from possible corruption by over-eager pub landladies, some of whom will stop at nothing to secure improved ratings for their pies.
After our first 4 outings, The Hampshire Bowman is clearly in the lead:
- The Hampshire Bowman (21.5)
- The Rising Sun (19.25)
- The Brickmakers (16.33)
- The White Horse (16.2)
Some comments have been made about some of these reviews:
- The Rising Sun was quite expensive and their pies were very salty so perhaps we were over-generous in our scoring.
- The Brickmakers was our first outing, and perhaps we should have been more generous in our scoring.
Clearly we need to revisit some of these pubs!
On a fine spring day it was with mounting excitement and high expectations that Trev, Nick and Simon set off for the long walk across Dundridge Meadows (in searing April heat and blistering sunshine) to one of their favourite local pubs, the Hampshire Bowman:
We were greeted outside by Doug, who had been patiently waiting for us there, having overcome problems with electricians to join us.
Joe was unfortunately unable to join us for this meeting, on account of having family problems back in Canada. You have our sympathy, Joe. After a brief discussion it was agreed that this was a reasonable excuse for his absence, and he needn't buy a round of drinks next time because of this.
After such an arduous cross-country hike, we had (of course) worked up a bit of a thirst so we went straight into the pub, to a warm welcome from Heather (the landlady). We were immediately impressed by the fine choice of ales available:
Doug very kindly bought the first round because (1) he'd already got himself a beer while he was waiting for everyone else to arrive, and (2) he'd driven there. Whilst this was not strictly necessary according to the rules, it was much appreciated by the others. Nick started with the Wallops Wood 4%, and the others had Swift One 3.8%. Both fine ales from the local brewery.
Heather offered us a choice of 3 pies: a Country Harvest Pie @ £7.95, a Chicken & Ham Pie @ £7.95, or a Lamb & Redcurrant Pie @ £9.25, all served with a selection of fresh vegetables and a choice of potatoes (baked, new, saute, or chips). On being told by Heather that the Lamb & Redcurrant Pie was freshly-baked and straight out of the oven, there was only one choice for all of us: We all ordered the Lamb & Redcurrant Pie, and had a second pint while we waited at our table in the garden outside.
Nick had new potatoes with his pie:
Everyone else chose the less healthy option of saute potatoes:
The vegetables and gravy were served separately, with a full selection of condiments:
When put together, the end result was a lovely-looking meal:
We all agreed that the fresh vegetables and the potatoes were very nicely cooked. The gravy was actually more like a redcurrant jus, and was delicious. We also agreed that the pastry was near-perfect, being of the approved short crust variety, and fully enclosing the filling. The filling was also near-perfect, the firm succulent pieces of lamb being accompanied by some very tasty onions. Portion sizes were average, and certainly adequate. Afterwards we all felt very full, and nobody could manage any pudding.
Various people ensured that we sampled each of the ales on offer, including the Warbler 4.8% and the Palmers 200 5%. All were up to the same high standard as the first 2 ales.
The ambience of the pub was also near-perfect: Heather gave us a nice welcome when we arrived; the pub was busy but not too crowded; it was easy to get served at the bar; the table service was excellent; the pub was clean; there were no unnecessary distractions such as music or fruit machines; and the weather was brilliant. The total bill came to £20 each (including service, and 4 beers each), which we felt was good value for money.
Scores (max. 5 in each category, 25 overall):
- Pastry 4.625
- Filling 4.375
- Beer 4.25
- Ambience 4
- Value 4.25
- Overall 21.5
Congratulations to Heather. We set off with high expectations and we were not disappointed. Your pies have earned our highest score yet. We'll surely be back for more!
Next meeting arranged for 2nd June (to be confirmed).
Trev, Nick, Si, Doug, and Joe met for the 3rd meeting of the Pie Club at The White Horse on Beeches Hill, just outside Bishops Waltham. After a brisk 15 minute walk to the pub we were all looking forward to a pint of Bowman Swift One (one of our favourite beers) but we were disappointed that this was off, having just had a barrel change. So we had a pint of Sharp's Doom Bar 4% instead, at £3/pint, while we considered the menu. If the Swift One had been available it would have been £2.60/pint.
Nick bought the first round as penance for causing this pie club meeting to be delayed by a week. There was some discussion about a possible amendment to the constitution, making a round the penalty for any future delays.
There was a choice of 3 pies: Steak, Ale & mushroom Pie (£8.95), Lamb & Mint Pie (£9.25), or Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie (£8.95), all served with chips, carrots, french beans, swede, and gravy.
After another pint, Nick, Si and Doug opted for the Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie:
After being told that there only only 2 portions of this pie available (another disappointment) Nick graciously switched to the Steak, Ale & Mushroom Pie along with Joe:
Trev was alone in choosing the Lamb & Mint Pie:
We all agreed that the fresh vegetables and the chips were very nicely cooked. For some reason the first two pies were brought to the table with gravy pre-applied, and the last 3 were not, but there was plenty of extra gravy available in 2 jugs. We also agreed that the pastry was excellent, being of the approved short crust variety, and fully enclosing the filling. A minor point, but we found the sachets of mustard difficult to open.
Trev seems to have made the best menu choice as he thought the Lamb & Mint Pie was excellent. Nick and Joe were also very pleased with their Steak, Ale & Mushroom Pie. Doug & Si were not so impressed by the Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie, thinking it rather dry. Si complained about there not being much chicken or ham in his (apparently it was all in Doug's portion). It seems that the Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie was home-made (by the landlord, who was absent and unable to be held to account for this), and had possibly been on the menu for quite a long time, but the Lamb & Mint Pie was a recent addition to the menu. We enquired as to the origin of the other 2 pies, but the barman was unable to help. We may need to do more research in this area.
You can tell that Doug enjoyed his pie by seeing the state of his plate afterwards:
Portion sizes were a bit smaller than on earlier pie club outings, but still adequate, and we should bear in mind that the prices were also lower than on earlier pie club outings. Afterwards we all declined the offer of pudding except Nick, who couldn't resist the Spotted Dick with custard:
It was nice and tasty, with a good hint of spice, but the custard was not over-generous.
The ambience of the pub was disappointing: there were only 2 or 3 other customers; the log fire wasn't lit; there was a temporary barman on duty who didn't seem to have much idea of what was going on; there was only one beer on in a 2-beer pub. It might have been better if the landlady had been behind the bar. But the pub was clean and comfortable, and the service was good. The total bill came to £20 each (including service), which is very good value for money when compared with the £35 each we paid on our previous outing (although remember that Nick paid for the first round - thank you Nick - so that wasn't included in the final bill).
Scores (max. 5 in each category, 25 overall):
- Pastry 3.7
- Filling 3.4
- Beer 2.9
- Ambience 2.6
- Value 3.6
- Overall 16.2
Next meeting arranged for 21st April.
Trevor, Nick, Simon, and new member Doug met for the 2nd meeting of the Pie Club at The Rising Sun, Swanmore . Joe had to duck out at the last minute, which was a shame as he missed some excellent pies. There was a choice of Steak & 3 Mustards Pie, or Steak, Guinness & Chestnuts Pie, each served with chips, peas and gravy. After much debate, Nick and Simon opted for the Steak & 3 Mustards Pie:
Trevor and Doug chose the Steak, Guinness & Chestnuts Pie:
The portions were very generous. The Steak & 3 Mustards Pie was enclosed in short-crust pastry which was perfectly cooked, not too thick, and tasted excellent. The Steak, Guinness & Chestnuts Pie seemed to have a short-crust pastry base and sides, with a flaky pastry top, which was equally satisfactory.
The fillings were packed with large pieces of tender lean meat and just enough gravy to keep it all together. Our only concern was that we all agreed that the fillings tasted very salty. The chips and (frozen) peas were all nicely cooked.
There were 4 ales available: we tried Sharp's Doombar 4% (excellent), Hopback Summer Lightning 5% (also excellent), and Jenning's Cross Buttock 4.5% (not bad). All the beers were served well at the correct temperature, and went well with the pies. Ringwood Best was also available.
We don't usually bother with puddings, but on this occasion they looked so good that we couldn't resist them. Nick and Simon had Spotted Dick Currant Pudding with Custard:
Trevor and Doug had Treacle Pudding with Custard:
Extra custard was provided. The puddings were very enjoyable.
The general ambience of the pub was excellent. On arrival we were given a warm friendly welcome. and found there was a log fire blazing in the bar area (very welcome on such a cold day). It's obviously a popular pub as there were several other customers there enjoying their meals, but noise levels were not intrusive (at least until we arrived). The service was good, and the pub was clean and nicely furnished (there is even a 3-piece suite in the bar area which we were able to retire to after we had finished our puddings). There was a commendable lack of background music, fruit machines and other distractions.
We felt that overall the portion sizes were very satisfactory, the quality was excellent, and at £10.95 the pies were good value. The total bill, including puddings, drinks and service came to £35 each, which is a little high, but we were generous with the service as we were a little drunk by then so impressed by the place.
Scores (max. 5 in each category, 25 overall):
- Pastry 3.75
- Filling 3.375
- Beer 4.25
- Ambience 4.375
- Value 3.5
- Overall 19.25
Congratulations to our hosts Sue & Mark. Your pies have earned our highest score yet. We'll surely be back for more!
Simon went for an evening meal with some friends at The Brushmakers Arms, Upham , where he had a traditional Steak & Ale Pie, accompanied by chips and mixed vegetables, with a pint of Upham Ale 4%. Unfortunately, Simon was driving so his beer consumption was limited.
The meal was generally very good, not least because of the good company, and the general ambience of the pub, which was excellent. The pie was tasty, with a good meaty filling and proper short-crust pastry, but let down by 2 things: (1) The filling was far too hot when served (Simon scalded his tongue at the first taste), and (2) the pastry, though of good quality, was only a topping and not a full casing (it might also have been slightly overcooked). The accompanying vegetables were fresh, tasty and nicely cooked. The chips were not bad. Portion sizes were ample. The ale was ok, but not as good (in Simon's opinion) as Upham Nectar 3.8%. At £10.50 for the meal it was average value for money.
Simon was disappointed to notice that Steak & Kidney Pudding was on the menu, but "sold out".
Please note that Simon visited the pub without any other members of the Club, so opinions expressed above are purely personal and not representative of the Club.
