G. Morris & Sons

This week with the Führer and the Walk Master away in France, José stepped into the breach to lead the ten pie munchers on a 6½ mile walk from Shropham to Great Hockham and back, before sampling medium pies from G. Morris & Sons. Parking by the parish church of Shropham, we followed Low Road a short distance before heading south by footpath, to complete one side of this rectangular walk. While walking on quiet roads, we passed by a house where Maisie, a rather skinny Pointer, came out to greet us. We then returned to footpaths to continue the journey west passing horses and woods. A quiet road then led us north to the village of Great Hockham. We left the village centre to visit the locked church of the Holy Trinity, with no scratch dial. Here we had our sandwiches at 4.2 miles and afterwards returned to the village and the Eagle public house. We were refreshed with pints of Old Speckled Hen and Adnams. After a good rest, we roused our leader and headed east back to Shropham, initially by road, purchasing herbs and Chilli products, and then finally via footpaths. Towards the end of the walk, José pretended he was lost - but he didn't fool us! We were soon out of the dead-end that he had taken us to and back on the devised route. A short walk north along Church Road reunited us with the cars. We then explored the church of St. Peter, again locked, finding a scratch dial on a buttress - a new one for the collection. After the girls had rested, tea was taken in the churchyard along with prawns and chilli sauce purchased on route. The two medium pies were sliced releasing very little aroma. The pies lacked jelly and while enjoyable, nothing special. Mustard did enhance them and they achieved a respectable score of 6.95 with a standard deviation of 0.59861. Oaties replaced the traditional Shortbreads to conclude proceedings. G. Morris & Sons scoring a normalised score of 7 this time, compared with their previous score of 6.5 on their last outing on September the 6^th 2009.

R. A. Cawdron & Son

To sample R. A. Cawdron's pies in their native environment, we headed to East Ruston - just two miles from the shop in Stalham. The eleven regular munchers were joined by the Walk Master's son Mark and Grandson Teodore - “Man of the Walk” back on the 4^th April this year. We also had the company of Bert & Harris, who were very lively on this outing. We started by following the Weavers Way, along the old railway line west, towards Brigate, passing under the wonderful Victorian road bridge. We headed north up Corner Common Road and then by footpath to the isolated Horning church of St. Peter & St. Paul. Here we had our lunch and failed to find a scratch dial. We then walked into the village and crossed the common on our way to East Ruston. Here local fruit was purchased prior to our visit to the Butchers Arms. Adnams was the beer of choice for most and this was enjoyed in the garden at the rear. A christening party were then vacating the pub and suggested to the bar staff that we should have the remaining nibbles. These were an appreciated accompaniment to the beer. Just a mile back to the cars and when we crossed Burnells Farm, we were greeted by a friendly and gorgeous Border collie that would normally have been photographed, but getting Bert and Harris over a style, I missed the opportunity. A short walk along Chapel Road reunited us with the cars. The Pies were then sliced, releasing little aroma, they were lacking jelly this outing but found favour with the munchers coming in at 8.45833 with a standard deviation of 0.81068. King Canape’s stuffed peppers were then consumed, post pie. The outing was completed with Scottish Shortbreads. So R. A. Cawdron scoring a normalised 8.5 as they did at Great Ryburgh on the 4^th April last year.

Van Pelt of King's Lynn

After a hiatus of two weeks, quality pies for the munchers return. Van Pelt of King’s Lynn “Quality Pork Butchers Established 1935” once holders of a Royal warrant, were this weeks suppliers. To ensure that our palates were in prime pie tasting condition for this new pie for the munchers, the Walk Master had devised a route to take in a beer festival. We parked at Reedham railway station and caught the train to Berney Arms. From here we walked to the river and followed the Wherryman's Way towards Reedham. We took lunch at about three miles on the raised path where Don donned a plastic bag for a hat, why - no one knows, but he had a vague likeness of Father Christmas. Bellies filled, we resumed our trek to Reedham via the Wherryman's Way. Just before Reedham, we headed to the Humpty Dumpy brewery to purchase fine ales from the brewery shop. Heading back to the river and the Lord Nelson, only to find that the beer festival was being held in the village hall! Never mind, the Lord Nelson had an excellent range of beers for us to consume. However, their dispensing skills didn't match the excellent beer range. Eventually we had our much-anticipated beverages that we consumed by the river. The ladies were treated to a viewing of a group of men posing in their mankinis, standing on the top of their boat, as they passed by. We wandered off back to the cars, some following the Walk Master's route, utilising footpaths, while the breakaway group took a shorter route along the road. Back at the railway station, the first offering was carrot sticks and Waitrose supreme houmous. Then the irregular shaped pies with their domed tops and filling. Cutting was an effort as the crust was quite hard. Not a great deal of aroma but a very good looking filling with jelly. I thought this was a very good pie, though it was let down by having a quite salt aftertaste. The pie munchers judged this pie at 7.57692 out of ten - a good score as two returned a score of just 5! So a high standard deviation of 1.38212 was recorded. Ginger & Lemon Cookies supplemented the traditional shortbreads. After grazing, the pie munchers just stood around mardling for ages. Eventually we got into cars and raced back to the Pie Master's where cars and passengers were swapped about. So Van Pelt ends up with a normalised score of 7.5.

Canapés and Shortbreads

With King Canape and José Luis away, Don was believed to be still in Londinium, the Pie Master thought our numbers would be small. He took the easy option and purchased some canapés. In the event, Don was here, as was Manola and we were joined by Charles II. The Walk Master had devised a walk around Cantley and we set off in two cars for the village hall. From here we took the footpath south to the church of St. Margaret, our first visit, but found no scratch dials. We continued south, crossing the railway line to the river, where we walked along the bank a little way before heading inland past fields of bullocks. We crossed the railway line again and walked through the village. From here we set off north west, and then north, over Swill's Meadow following a long straight path through a field of wheat. Quiet roads then took us to Hassingham church of St. Mary for lunch at 4 miles. We had previously visited this church and found no scratch dials. Now a mile and a quarter along Church Lane and permissive footpaths, took us to the Cantley Cock - the scene of the "Prussic acid" Christmas cake incident in 2005! Here we had pints of Wadworth’s Henry's Original IPA, that was on special offer. While consuming our beverages, we were joined by Cath, who then walked the last mile back to the cars. We stopped to purchase various local fruit & veg before returning to the cars. Thankfully, Paul had realised there would be no canapés, so had brought some French bread and Parma ham. This supplemented the single pack of smoked salmon crescents brought by the Pie Master. Scottish Shortbreads completed the post walk munching.

Too hot for Pork Pies!

The hot weather not finding Favour with the Pie Master, he had failed to procure pork pies earlier in the week! Josie had decided it was too hot to walk, so the Pie Master thought it prudent to stay at home too. Other pie munchers too called off due to the heat. Four intrepid pie munchers, sans pies, headed for Sheringham. Parking by the approach road to Sheringham, they made their way through Upper Sheringham and through Sheringham Park seeing many butterflies. Crossing the North Norfolk Railway line to the beach, they headed east where they took refreshment in "The Lobster" public house. Here they observed a chap playing with his model railway set up, complete with a locomotive and carriages with "Say No Tesco" livery. Leaving the town, they headed towards Beeston Regis, following the beck to Back Common. Then back into Sheringham woods where they got a little lost! They made it back to the car for tea with Spanish omelette.

Photographs by José Luis

José Luis also alerted the Pork Pie News to this wooly pie by Kate Jenkins:

Mickey

Mickey in the church of St. Peter & St. Paul, Mautby, on 31st August 2008

Today, the Pork Pie News learnt that Mickey was put to sleep last week. Mickey occasionally joined us on our pie munching expeditions with his “girl friend” Giada. Mickey had lived a long healthy life and deteriorated quickly at the end. I know all pie munchers will be saddened by this news and our sympathy goes to Wendy and Tim.

Laurels Farm Butchers

More Suffolk pies this week, two medium pies from Laurels Farm Butchers in Eye. We were sampling them in their home county: the pie munchers headed down to Reydon to walk by the coast. Parking in the shade, in the car park of St. Margaret’s church, we had a little quiet road walking, as we made our way east. as we made our way east. We passed several interesting buildings, including the twin turrets at the entrance to a rest home for the aged in Covert Road. We then took footpaths to the coast at Southwold, emerging through the barren landscape, just north of the pier. Lunch again this week was taken above the very choppy waves, on the pier, after visiting the “Under the Pier show”. Continuing our walk south, along the sea front, we paused by Gunn Hill while José and José Luis went swimming and the Walk Master had a paddle. We followed the coast along The Denes to the river, where we headed inland by the River Blyth to the Harbour Inn for pints of excellent Adnams. We then headed north over Busscreek Marshes and then up Shepherd’s Lane, passing St. Felix school. Crossing the Halesworth Road, we continued north by a footpath to return to St. Margaret’s church, where we examined it unsuccessfully for scratch dials. Then the raison d’etre for this Sunday’s outing: King Prawns with a marie rose sauce were today’s canapé, preceding the pork pies from Laurels Farm Butchers. The Pie Master, eager to sample these good-looking pies, did the pie photography without Svinjski Sudal! King Canape realising this oversight alerted the Pie Master who then re-photographed the, now sliced, pies with our mascot. These excellent pies delivered on all counts: nice aroma, well jellied, crisp tasty pastry with a flavoursome meaty filling, further enhanced with a dab of mustard. Not surprisingly, these pies found favour with all eleven pie munchers, resulting in a score of 8.45455 with a standard deviation of 0.87905. The traditional shortbread returned this week, completing the munching. So Laurels Farm Butchers score a normalised 8.5 on their first outing with the pie munchers.

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