January 23 is an annual holiday in which you are obligated to quite literally fill your pie hole. This holiday originated in the 1970s, by a man who for some reason decided that his birthday would be National Pie Day. Since 1986 it has been sponsored by the American Pie Council (yes, that’s a thing), and is now a highlight of our calendars. Here are our top 5 restaurants to enjoy a crusty piece of heaven in the pie-eating capital of Britain; Yorkshire.
Who doesn't love a pie and what better excuse to indulge than National Pie Day!
Silversmiths, Sheffield
Every Tuesday at Silversmiths is pie night, and the stars must have aligned this year because what day is today? Tuesday of course! The night was launched by Gordon Ramsay nearly 10 years ago and has now become a permanent weekly, and greatly anticipated, event. On their pie menu they offer a beef & ale pie and a chicken and tarragon pie, which are both topped with shortcrust pastry, as well as a Mediterranean vegetable pie with crushed new potatoes and a fish pie topped with creamy mash. All of these come served with mushy peas and either divine mash potatoes or homemade chunky chips, and come at £12 a portion. However, our favourite thing about this place might be the fact that they serve Yorkshire puddings with gravy as a starter.
Image credit: Silversmiths Restaurant/ via Facebook
Silversmiths is located at111 Arundel St, Sheffield, S1 2NT.
Humble Pie ‘n’ Mash, Whitby
Nowt is better than shovelling a bit of pie ‘n’ mash in to yer gob, especially when it’s going for £5.99 a piece. So, if you’re in Whitby this Tuesday, head to the Humble Pie ‘N’ Mash - purveyors of delicious, hearty pies. In this lovingly restored, cosy 16th century restaurant, you’ll find that they offer a vast array of traditional pies, such as slow braised steak and stout pie and lamb, leek and rosemary pie, as well as some more unusual ones, such as their romany homitty pie - a vegetarian favourite - and day-to-day specials. All pies are served with superb mash, peas and thick gravy, and are made with locally sourced ingredients (their pet chickens supply the eggs!) - “Just like Grandma used to makeâ€.
Image credit: @jameshoggarth79/ via Instagram
Humble Pie ‘n’ Mash is found at163 Church St, Whitby, YO22 4AS.
The Hull Pie Bakery, Kingston upon Hull
Now, The Hull Pie Bakery doesn’t just do pies - they do award-winning pies. If you happen to be in the area, and have a hankering for some of the good stuff, make sure to give these guys a visit. They offer 9 different pies, all of which sound delicious including a succulent steak pie and a steak and chorizo pie, as well as one filled with cauliflower and broccoli cheese and a vegan Moroccan vegetable and falafel pie. A pie on its own comes at £3.25, but if you fancy adding a side of mash, peas and gravy it’ll be £6.35. However, you’re not just limited to those options - you can instead choose carrots, salt and pepper potatoes, skin-on-fries or sweet potato fries if you want. We recommend getting a pie and a side of poutine - a Canadian dish made of fries sprinkled with cheese and drizzled with (or drowning in) gravy. Pie perfection.
Image credit: The Hull Pie Bakery/ via Facebook
The Hull Pie Bakery is located at202 Newland Ave, Hull, HU5 2ND.
The Piebald Inn, Hunmanby
When it comes down to variety, The Piebald Inn definitely comes up on top with an astonishing 50 different pies to choose from. We won’t go in to too much detail about their pies, as there are just too many to describe, but they have a selection of beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, haggis, black pudding, game, goat, fish and vegetarian pies, priced between £9.75-14.95 each. It’s safe to say that they have a pie for any appetite, and to avoid any confusion about what’s in stock they have a handy chalkboard telling you how many they have of each pie. You can accompany your pie with homemade onion rings in beer batter, hand-cut chunky chips, mash, a jacket potato, seasonal veg, peas, mushy peas and/or garlic bread. Be warned though - the portions are somewhat generous!
Image credit: The Piebald Inn/ via Facebook
You can find The Piebald Inn at65 Sands Ln, Hunmanby, Filey, YO14 0LT.
The Midnight Bell, Leeds
The Midnight Bell’s pies are so beautifully presented it seems a shame to eat them - but somebody has to do it, right? They offer four tasty pies; a steak and ale pie topped with a puff pastry lid accompanied by a side of mash potatoes, a smoked haddock, salmon and king prawn fish pie topped with mash, a seasonal veg and rich lentil pie topped with Hellfire ale cheddar mash and a Leeds Brewery’s shepherd’s pie topped with mash, all served with seasonal veg for £10.95-11.95. Compliment this with a local beer or ale from their extensive selection and enjoy the ambience of this traditional pub with a contemporary twist.
Image credit: @midnightbelllds/ via Instagram
The Midnight Bell is found at 101 Water Ln, Leeds, LS11 5QN.