Fortnum and Mason

Following last weeks' disappointing offering from Marks and Spencer we took no chances and ate like kings with a £3.50 pie from the counter at Fortnum and Mason. Admittedly we did break rank here by leaving the supermarkets for 'specialist pie' but when there's pie in the house it's got to be eaten.

Before we proceed with the review we must dedicate it to Sarah for she supplied the offering.

Game on! Initial signs were good with the posh paper wrapping complete with the Fortnum and Mason livery. Carefully pulling away the wrapping revealed a pie that immediately caused controversy. There was a prominent glaze on top and the walls, well they were semi-opaque with not a hint of unnecessary grease. This pie was indeed a tart. Let's not be judgemental just yet though, it's what's inside that counts.

Cutting in to the pie I was frankly a little worried as the walls didn't look like they'd take the pressure when under the knife. Re-assuringly the walls did not buckle and the pie cut smoothly into quadrants to reveal an attractive spread of pork and gelatine with a very clean cut. Please note for our tests we only ever use a cheap dining knifes.

The pork assuringly was not too densely packed revealing itself as a balanced meaty mass with an elastic memory when force was removed. You won't often see this feature in a standard factory pie where the meat is normally tightly packed in. The quantity of gelatine was spot on and not too gelatinous.

Biting in to this pie was a beautiful and enlightening experience quite like none other I've ever experienced with pie. The pastry was not the slightest crunchy and not a single crumb dropped off my chin. This did not offend me, though my fellow tasters might have preferred a little more crunchiness.

Beyond the pastry this pie tasted of pork and nothing else. As one of our tasters put it this pie is all about the meat, And I'd agree. As I sank my teeth into the meat it melted away with the pastry and my taste buds were tingling with the taste of quality pork. The gelatine provided a nice transition between pork to pastry digestion.

In conclusion this pie was a triumph in my eyes though I do need to take the other taster views in to consideration. For some the lack of crunchiness in the pastry was a concern as this may be considered as a mandatory feature of the pork pie family. This pie pushes the boundaries of pork pie making with the emphasis on taste and experience. Definitely one to try before you die.

Flavour balance: meat 65%, pastry 15%, gelatine 20%.

Overall score: 8.5/10