Whether it’s cold, hot, sweet or savoury, a pie is typically seen as a classic British dish, especially when using the finest British ingredients. Tucked into all year round, from classic pub meals to homemade feasts, a glass of wine or a cold craft beer can be the perfect partner to an assortment of pies.
With Great British Pie Week hitting the nation from 3rd – 9th March, I’ve paired some classics with the best of British wine and beers.
Pork Pie
A superb snack, a lunchtime must-have or a ploughman’s lunch centrepiece, a British pork pie is simple but delicious.
Wine can be a tricky pairing for this tasty pie, but it can match beautifully with a British beer.
The breadth of craft beer offerings from around the country has continued to grow from strength to strength, including within the Shropshire borders. Within a stone’s throw of Tanners’ historic Shropshire HQ in Shrewsbury, there is a fantastic selection of breweries who help put Shropshire on the map for craft beer. Tanners have hand-picked a range of bottles from these breweries, celebrating the best of the Shropshire ales scene.
Ham hock, Chicken and Creamy Leek Pie
Try: Chapel Down Kit's Coty Chardonnay, North Downs
Served with buttery mashed potatoes and a hearty serving of green veg, this pie is comfort on a plate. I’ve selected a Chardonnay from one of the premium English wine producers, Chapel Down who are based in Kent.
With notes of ripe apple, fresh citrus and a creamy texture, this is a superb Chardonnay which flies the flag for British wine production.
Cheddar Cheese & Onion Pie
Try: Sharpham Dart Valley Reserve, English Quality Wine 2022
A white wine will match beautifully with this pie filling. I’ve picked a white wine from Sandridge Barton estate near Stoke Gabriel, Devon.
Sharpham’s Dart Valley Reserve is crisp and fresh and it’s this bright character that will cut through the creamy cheese and buttery pastry of the pie. Filled with zesty aromas and flavours, this white wine is almost reminiscent of the refreshing character of Sauvignon Blanc.
Sharpham moved to the Sandridge Barton estate relatively recently. But before that, they established a strong legacy in the world of English winemaking. In fact, when the original vineyards were purchased in the 1960s, the owners bought their Jersey Cows from Essex on the train. Over time, they made soft cheese from the milk and planted some trial vines on the sunny south-facing slope in front of Sharpham House, over-looking the river Dart, which started the legacy of Sharpham wines.
Apple Pie
Try: Rowton Late Harvest Solaris 2022 - Half
An often-trusted rule to follow when it comes to food and wine pairing is to pair sweet with sweet. I’ve picked a sweet dessert wine from Shropshire’s Rowton vineyard. This wine is rich, moreish and bursting with aromas and flavours of banana and toffee, lifted with refreshing acidity. The sweet fruit will complement the fruit filling and sugar-dusted pastry.
A firm friend of Tanners, Rowton Wines is a local gem nestled between Tanners Historic HQ and our distribution warehouse in Welshpool, Powys, just-outside of Shrewsbury. Proud twin sisters, wine drinkers and farmers daughters, Mel and Zoe are third-generation custodians of the family farm. With a commitment to showcasing Shropshire terroir, Rowton Wines burst onto the drinks scene in 2022 and hasn’t looked back. Maintaining their dedication to the land, winemaking is intertwined with their richly diversified working farm, which involves growing a variety of crops and looking after their herd of Limousin cattle.
Blueberry and Raspberry Pie
Try: Nyetimber Rosé, English Sparkling Wine
British grown berries are not only the best on the market, but they make a superb filling for a sweet pie. The jam-like filling wrapped up in buttery pastry is a delicious end to a meal and is perfect on its own, served with cream, ice cream or custard. I’ve picked an exceptional English sparkling rosé to pair with this mouth-watering pudding.
Renowned for its finesse and balance, this bubbly is layered with ripe red berries, delicate spice, and a soft, creamy finish. Crafted by one of England’s finest sparkling producers, it’s a wine that truly stands out. A bottle of fizz doesn’t have to be saved for celebratory occasions. Nyetimber, who have several separate sites across Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, is a pioneer of English sparkling production and it deserves to be sipped and savoured all year long (and especially with a good British pie).