There’s nothing more Northern than sitting in an historic corner pub, next to a roaring fire, tucking into a plate of pie and mash that’s been slathered with gravy on a cold, wet January afternoon.
For The Black Friar, which has a history dating as far back as 1886, the start of the year has been less about shrugging off the January blues and more about celebrating pies.
Their annual pie festival has been hailed by the likes of food critic Jay Rayner as ‘pies done proper’ and feature a handmade selection of filled pastry snacks from chef Ben Chaplin – ranging from the classic staples of chicken and leek to more out-there options like lasagne or lobster.
Better yet, the offerings start from just £10 and, if you’re coming as part of a big booking, you can even get huge sharing pies to order between friends. But, on this occasion, me and my colleague are opting for the standard £10 menu – and we tell each other there will be no sharing included.
We’re told that the £10 menu consists of a number of staples – either beef mince and roasted vegetables, the traditional fish pie, a chicken, leek and mushroom offering, or vegetable curry. There’s also a daily special that will vary, and will cost a little extra. Today’s offering is beef and Boddington’s – but we’re informed by the time of our visit that they’re already out of that.
The traditional fish pie features a mash crown and an assortment of ‘catch of the day’ fish inside
Feeling greedy and eager to see what all the fuss is about, we end up getting the fish pie, the chicken one and the veggie curry between us – with a few sides added for good measure.
Whilst the main pies are £10 each, they come as-is so chances are you’ll want a few sides to go with it. Fries, mash and rice are all available at £3.50 each, whilst you can get Hasselback truffle cream cheese potatoes for £8. Gravy, peppercorn and curry sauce are all £2.50 each.
There’s no pretentiousness about The Black Friar. If you’ve ever been in before, you’ll know fully well that the Salford pub has a laidback and comforting charm to it. There’s cosy chairs and, of course, that aforementioned fireplace in action to keep us all warm and relaxed.
When they arrive, the pies look like decadent little handmade beauties – but, bar the fish pie which features a mash crown on top, they look unpretentious – just like the venue itself. It’s a well-made pie, but doesn’t need the confetti cannons to make a scene about it.
The vegan curry pie was an accomplishment
Tucking into the chicken pie, it’s a return to my childhood. Freshly baked and still piping hot, the warm pastry is comforting and the creamy flavours inside continue the trend. Big chunks of chicken are matched perfectly with the leek sauce. Whilst I am very far from a fan of mushrooms, they aren’t completely unwelcomed here.
The tasty rich flavours, matched with the buttery sweetness of the side of mash (perhaps some of the best mash I have had in a long while, I add) and the golden puff pastry are, quite simply, pie heaven.
Whilst I’m in a chicken pie blur, my colleague enjoys the fish pie – which he describes as flavoursome, with a filling mix of fish. There’s an assortment of fish inside, which we’re told varies on a daily basis depending on the catch of the day, but there’s a mix of salmon and other fish inside on this occasion.
The chicken, leek and mushroom pie was a delight from start to finish
Realising we still have a third pie on our table, we decide in the end to share the vegetable curry pie. Using a vegan pastry, it’s got cauliflower, potato and spinach inside and it’s incredibly delightful. Steering away from being spicy, it instead offers an abundance of flavours – it’s like a mix between a chip shop curry and bombay potatoes (meant in the best possible way).
We paired it up with the curry sauce and we’re glad we ultimately chose to. Whilst there is enough sauce in the filling to keep it from being stodgy, the extra sauce was welcomed and just made it even better.
I was a bit apprehensive about how the vegan pastry would work – I have had others which have ended up being claggy and which stick to the palate, but the pie crust here is far from dry and has the same richness to it that you’d expect from any other pie. If I hadn’t known it was vegan, I’d probably have never guessed it was.
There’s a lot of places that serve pies in Manchester – it’s far from an anomaly. But what The Black Friar does with their pies is worth shouting about. They’re filling, top quality, and tick all the boxes, and they are clearly given a extra dose of love and attention by chef Chaplin and his team.
There’s even a £65 sharing pie – designed for up to four people to enjoy together
In all fairness, you’re realistically going to spend a little more than £10 on your meal when you take into consideration the sides and sauces that come as extras. But, if you do want to make that £10 stretch, then the pies are certainly a sustainable lunch choice on their own, or with gravy. That being said, I do highly recommend you getting a side of mash to go with it at the very least.
Whilst I can’t tell you when they will be available to order, The Black Friar’s upcoming specials will include the likes of Lobster Pie, Lasagne Pie and Lamb Shank Pie. If that’s not enough, there will also be dessert pies such as Pecan Pie and Mississippi Pie to choose from too.
And if you fancy splitting them with up to four of you, the sharing pies can be booked in advance at £65 and come with a choice of either Chicken and Pancetta, Veggie Curry or Lamb Shank.
Neil Burke, owner of The Black Friar, said: “We’re so excited to be kicking off our fourth year of the Pie Festival – it’s become a real favourite, and we can completely see why.
“Hearty, warm and proper-northern £10 pies seems to be just what the doctor ordered to get through the cold and miserable winter months. I also think Ben’s specials are going to be extra special this year… I can’t wait to see you in there.”