Ronnie's Bakery Cafe (Tirau) Steak & Cheese Pie Review

Eager for morning tea during a road trip. Stopped into Ronnie's Bakery Cafe (Tirau) for a bite to eat. Went for a steak and cheese pie as usual although it was tempting to try the offering of a Lamb and Kumara Pie. Nevertheless, the status quo prevailed, my peckish-ness was cured and my criticing continues... 

First Impressions
Normal sized oval pie that is a bit greasy to hold. Quite soft to handle and smelled delicious. Easy to bite into, although lid was a little crumby on the top and crumbs were left throughout the establishment. Too hot to scoff but cool enough that it could be eaten straight away.

The Analysis 

Nothing stood out for the pastry, it wasn't bad or good so overall I'll say it was OK. Just a bit greasy and crumbly but the softness and taste makes up for those discretions.
Filling had a few steak chunks, which were soft, generous and delicious. Once again very little cheese was found so once again I'm left disappointed. Gravy consistency was average as it contained too much thickener and not enough substance. Hardly any mince was used in the gravy and was quite tasteless. Filling temperature was good and hot; I felt that there was some risk of lip and throat burning if you were in a hurry but it was an excellent temperture for a pie that would be eaten for enjoyment.

In the end...

For the $3.90 I paid my opinion is that it was OK but I've had better. Highlight was the big chunks of steak; the gravy and measure of cheese were shocking whilst everything else was just OK. The presence of little cheese is a major flaw. Given the choice, for the cost versus the quality recieved, I would possibly choose a steak and cheese pie from Ronnie's Bakery Cafe again.

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Fast and Fresh Bakery Cafe: Steak and Cheese Pie Review

With a window brandished with "pie awards winner"...expectations were naturally quite high. The particular pie I had was OK. Not the best and but thankfully not the worst either.I had to have a steak and cheese pie to keep consistency but I was left wondering whether I would have enjoyed my lunch more had I gone for the silver award winning steak and vegetable pie. 

First Impressions
Standard sized pie, easy to bite into and scoff down with soft pastry - distinctly yellow in colour but not too extreme. Perfect temperature although rather greasy, I distinctly remember the pie had managed to penetrate the white paper bag before I'd got my wallet out to pay for it.I was hungry, so satisfied.

The Analysis 

Texture and taste of pastry was perfect, slightly crispy on the surface yet soft inside, not dry or crumby on the surface so a crumbly mess was averted. However, it was let down by being greasy and overly yellow in colour. Filling had a few steak chunks, which were full of gristle and tasted like they were from the same place that those terrible frozen pie makers get their meat from. Needless to say, the steak chunks were more of a turn off rather than an exciting salivating moment.  Very little cheese was found so not a great cheesy taste was experienced - definite disappointment here. Gravy consistency was great, there were no risks of burnt mouth/lips from a napalm-like gravy. Taste of the gravy was OK there was just too much of it.

In the end...

For the $3.90 I paid my opinion is I could have got better. Highlights were the pastry and gravy but the steak was terrible. Proportions of steak:gravy:cheese were all wrong and made for an OK tasting pie that was not cheesy at all. At the end of the day, I was hungry and my stomach was satisfied but given the choice, for the cost versus the quality recieved, I would not choose a steak and cheese pie from Fast and Fresh Bakery Cafe again.


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