HeavenScent Food Co. Port Wine, Beef and Blue Cheese Pie

I had heard there would be another pop-up seaside market at Bell Block school. Having gone to the first one and been suitably impressed with the variety of stall and atmosphere, I coaxed my partner to come with me this time. Unfortunately, the weather and probably the clashing with another market, kept at least half the stall holders and many of the patrons away. However, we did spot the HeavenScent Food Co stall selling what they called handmade artisan pies - being the pie connoisseur that I think I am, I was tempted; spying the Port wine, beef and blue cheese pie I couldn't resist.


First Impressions
Strange. a small hand sized pie in a foil dish served with a wooden fork. Nice crust on the lid, it looked delicious. Quite a small pie, and quite pricey, but surely for $9 this had to be good and instant high expectations from the excellent steak and blue cheese pie from Inglewood's Oscars Kiwi Cafe begun. I was unfortunately highly disappointed...

The Analysis

Pastry was soggy, I guess that's why they gave me a fork. There was no way to eat this using my hand, it would have fallen apart and made an annoying mess. I enjoyed eating the lid, it had a nice crust and was tasty but that was the only upside on an otherwise crap pie.

The filling had a few chunks of steak and were OK, too much gravy/mince and although there was the right amount of cheese it was a sad excuse for a blue cheese. I got very little if any of that distinctive blue cheese taste, in fact, I was searching for it to try and give this pie a bit of credit for having blue cheese in it - but it just wasn't there. On top of that, the first bite tasted like an el cheapo frozen supermarket pie; but combining with pastry, cheese a bit of beef and gravy it was altogether OK.

It's quite small for a $9 pie. I was left hungry and disappointed with the build quality of the pie and it's overall taste - I actually can't believe they sell these things for $10 in their cafe in Auckland.

My honest thoughts are that they came to Bell Block market with sub-standard pies to what they usually sell in the cafe. Probably frozen in Auckland and reheated for the market. However, there is no excuse for selling that kind of pie for that kind of price and at the end of the day I can only judge them on what they serve me and what I got was crap.

Also, it came complete with poor service. I arrived at a stall with no one in attendance. A 'dude' then came towards us and I realised that the 3 guys being blokes standing by a ute setback 5m behind the stall were the stall holders. I got a surly reception with a definite feeling of "annoying customer interrupted my 'boy talk.'" I ordered two pies, paid the 'dude' some money and then he promptly resumed his 'boy talk' by the ute.

In the end...

The pie cost $9! Majority of pastry was soggy, filling was disappointing and the only highlight was a good-looking pie lid that was actually tasty. I think we were ripped off with crap service just to top off the experience.

After going to Oscars Kiwi Cafe I was left thinking there should be more places making steak and blue cheese pies but HeavenScent Food Co. should stop or at least go away and stay in Auckland.

I give you the location of their Auckland Cafe if you want to give them a go...

Moturoa Cafe Steak and Cheese Pie Review

This time I was shopping around in the Moturoa shops. Walked past Moturoa cafe, the smell of freshly baked goods was too tempting to resist so in I went and, as usual, took the shortest path to the pie warmer to check out what was on offer. Excellent, only one steak and cheese pie left, must be good if there's only one left right? It's my go to pie type to review and judge a place for its pies so I snapped it up and scoffed it down.

First Impressions
Lack of colour on the pastry; I remember it having a distinctly pale look about it. Also, taking it out of the warmer; the nice lady behind the counter gave me a hand with the comment "oh, you have to use this scooper to pick it up rather than the tongs. I had a customer the other day mess the pie up..." Right, so structural integrity of pie was not fantastic - in fact, quite soft and flimsy.

The Analysis 

Pastry was easy to bite into but it lacked flavour or any kind of texture - it was just soft, not soggy but not crisp either. Perhaps it needed just a bit more time in the oven?


The filling had a couple of chunky bits of steak but again tasteless and generic filling like a supermarket pie. There was a wee bit of mince, a lot of gravy and piss all cheese. Not tasty at all, I think they forgot the salt or something.

In the end...

Think the pie cost $4.50. OK price for what I got but I would rather a reheated pre-frozen supermarket pie for a similar price. The pastry lacked texture, colour and flavour. Whilst the filling was generic and lacked salt. Not the best pie, certainly not the worst but I wouldn't go out of my way to get another. However, I'd have another if I was hungry and in a hurry, especially if I was in the area often. They have a pie loyalty card - every tenth pie is free at Moturoa Cafe, 498 St Aubyn Street, Moturoa, New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Oscars Kiwi Kafe Steak and Blue Cheese Pie Review

Drove to Inglewood with my partner to return a baby capsule we hired. The hire place was closed (despite the lady saying they'd be open over the phone) so in an annoyed state we decided to go to a cafe for lunch and basically bitch about it over a coffee. Having commuted through Inglewood for work quite a bit, my partner suggested Oscar's Kiwi Kafe so off we went to order some consoling coffee. However, they also had one handmade pie left in the warmer, a lonely steak and blue cheese pie. Thought it'd be rude not to try it, especially given I'm a bit of a blue cheese fiend.

First Impressions
What an interesting take on the classic steak and cheese pie, I love blue cheese so this just sounded like an awesome pie and it really was. The height of the pie was a little large - ended up having to tilt my head and eat it side on with the occasional slurp of the filling followed by a pastry bite. Hmmmmm - damn this is one tasty pie.

The Analysis 

Pastry was good, easy to bite into and tasty. Was a little soggy on the bottom but this may be because we had a late lunch, it was the last pie and had been in the warmer for a while. If it had been a while in the warmer, the moisture in the filling was not adversely affected and the pastry was still crispy on top - both the melted cheese and flakey pastry on top.

The filling had good chunky bits of steak, the ratios of mince, gravy, steak and blue cheese was perfect. Every bite was delicious and had a hint of cheesy goodness to it.

My only qualm I have is the height of the pie dish used to make it - it's too high and makes the pie too thick to easily bite into. I think they are going for the fancy 'knife and fork' type of pie in which case it's fine but I prefer to be able to just hold and eat. After all, I hate to leave good pie juices on a plate because I used a knife and fork to eat it!

In the end...

Think the pie set us back $6.50. Pastry was acceptable, filling was excellent. It was one of the best pies I have ever eaten and I will definitely be revisiting Oscar's Kiwi Kafe on Rata Street in Inglewood, New Zealand.

Kinda left me thinking there should be more places making steak and blue cheese pies.

Dan's Bakery Steak & Pepper Pie Review

Went for a 3 hour walk of discovery along New Plymouth's coastal walkway including Te Henui walkway. I ended up in the centre of town feeling very hungry. Eventually found a place still open at 2pm called Dan's Bakery. Small quaint bakery which by that time had run out of steak and cheese, mince and cheeses and steack, bacon and cheese pies. I settled for a steak and pepper pie which was quite a surprise.

First Impressions
Soft, easy to hold pie that smelt delicious (although I was extremely hungry at this point). Easy to bite into, filling was nice temperature to scoff if need be. Tasty and the filling had a good thickness to it.

The Analysis 

Pastry was good, soft and easy to bite into; was delicious and not too crisp so near on perfect. Filling had many chunks of steak. Most of which were tender and had a good meaty flavour. However, there was one chuck that was so big I had to stomach it in three bites and that particular piece was unfortunately dry and tasteless. Gravy consistency was excellent. I could see mince and it was perfectly thickened; not gluggy at all. The amount of pepper in the mix suited my tastebuds. This pie was delicious.

In the end...

Can't remember how much this pie set me back but it was less that $5 and worth it. Pastry was great, gravy was excellent and aside from the large dry, tasteless piece of steak, the filling was yum with a good meat/gravy ratio. Overall, this pie was very tasty and I'm looking forward to trying a Dan's bakery steak and cheese pie at 41 Deven Street, New Plymouth.

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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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Turangi Bakery and Cafe Steak and Cheese Pie Review

This pie was pretty tasty. I polished it off surprisingly quickly and it is no wonder this shop wins prizes for its pies. I had to have a steak and cheese pie to keep consistency but golly did they have a range of flavours. If not for a steak and cheese pie, Turangi Bakery and Cafe is must visit just to see the choices they've come up with.

First Impressions
Standard sized pie, soft pastry, thin crispy outer layer with a chuck of steak in the very first bite..great! Perfect amount of cheese, filling temperature was hot enough to keep tasty and scoff down in less than 5 minutes. Delicious.

The Analysis 

Easy to hold and bite into. Pastry was very tasty. Filling had heaps of steak chunks and the amount of cheese gave a great cheesy taste that was not overpowering. Gravy content must have been perfect because, I do not recall any fears of: drippings into my lap, mouth scolding or lack of tastiness. Its only downfall was that the scoring on the pastry lid of the pie made pieces flake off into the paper bag when I bit into it so is a little messy to eat.

In the end...

Great amount of steak and cheese. Delicious to eat. Was a bit messy to eat but not ridiculously. Loved the pie, would love another!

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Wild Bean Cafe Classic Steak & Cheese Pie Review

Not exactly in the top grade as far as pies go, it was good enough to finish but I wouldn't go out of my way to get another. However, one should not complain too much when it's someone else's shout as I'm about to do!

 

(Wild Bean Cafe situated just outside of Taupo was were this pie was purchased)

First Impressions
A round pie that seemed slightly larger than a standard pie. Not too bad for a Wild Bean Cafe pie, it was soft and easy to bite into albeit a bit cool for my liking. I think their pie warmers should be turned up a tad. Oversized paper bag was good and made it easy to envelope and handle the pie.

The Analysis 

For a service station cafe I wasn't expecting star quality so there were no surprises when I found that it was a mainly mincey pie with little steak or cheese. That bad aromatic taste that makes me think I'm eating off-meat struck after the third bite but at least it was not overpowering and it certainly wasn't enough to abandon finishing my free lunch.

The pastry was a wee bit thick for my liking, it made the pie a little dry but its softness was perfect. Casing bottom was short pastry and think the the top was too, or it was a very cheap and stiff kind of flakey pastry.

Gravy consistency was excellent, not too thick or too runny, just perfect to hold the filling together and keep it moist.

Not exactly the tastiest pie, but my hunger was sated at the end of devouring it.

In the end...

The pie was sold for $3.90 and what I got was more like a mince pie with a drop of melted cheese. Not really a good buy but if you're on the go, and this is convieniently on offer, then it'll do to cure any hunger pains otherwise try elsewhere for a steak and cheese pie. I think if Wild Bean Cafe (Wairakei) is my only option I'll try their Angus Steak and Cheese pie instead and hope for a better result

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Beaut Bakery Steak and Cheese pie review

This pie was pretty good. Overall Beut Bakery's Steak and Cheese pie was pretty tasty and I think the awards they've won in the past for their pies are probably well deserved.

First Impressions
 Standard sized New Zealand one serve pie.
I was having it for lunch so I have no qualms about it being served up in a white paper bag. However, not too impressed that the bottom of the bag was oil soaked and left a layer of grease on my fingers when I picked it off the passenger seat after a 5 minute drive down the road back to work.

First bite was quite enjoyable, in fact delicious. I encountered a slightly crisp and soft pastry encasing a filling at a temperature that was perfect and not at risk of being scolded for burning my mouth.

The Analysis 

Definitely a flaky pastry top with what I think was a short pastry bottom. Pastry was noticeably yellow in colour - this was neither a put off or an attraction. Pie casing had a thin crispy layer incasing soft tasty layers inside and of course the gravy centre. For me the pastry's texture and taste was perfect, the look was okay. No overly oily feeling left on my lips afterwards, which is fantastic.

The filling was yum, even the gravy! But if I go down to the nitty gritty...I counted two ~1 cm cubes of steak and limited cheese unfortunately. Another 2 cubes of meat and double the cheese and I would have higher praise. The gravy, was slightly too runny. I needed to plan my bites so that I didn't squeeze gravy out the sides of my lips and burn my cheeks!

As a whole, this pie is one of the tastiest pies I've had.

In The End...Given the price, I think I paid NZ$3.50 for this pie, and how good it was to eat, I definitely recommend a steak and cheese pie from Beaut Bakery.  

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Dixie Brown Steak, Bacon and Mushroom Pie Review

Pies can be pretty good, good, pretty bad, bad or pretty average. On the whole Dixie Brown's Steak, bacon and mushroom pie was pretty average.

First ImpressionsPretty standard size for a New Zealand one serve pie.It arrived with a large dollap of mashed spuds (could have chosen salad), gravy and it seemed 'crispy' (burnt) but I'm not one to judge a pie on its looks alone.
Unfortunately, the first mouthful tasted like an oven-baked family pack pie bought from the supermarket.

The AnalysisFlaky pastry top with short pastry bottom. Nothing particularly poor to mention on the casing but nothing too special either.
Good job on the supply of bacon and tenderness of beef in the filling. However, I have qualms about the excessive use of gravy like it's a bulking agent. This is mainly due to the increased risk of mouth scalding whilst munching.
A few thinly sliced mushrooms lined the base of the pie casing. Until I had fully disassembled and poked around in my pie I was sure they were either hiding from me or non-existent. Turned out they were just in short supply.
I left my plate with a mound of garlic mash garnished with a side of partially eaten pie base in a soup of gravy. The pie top and filling was completely devoured and fulfilled my needs for sustenance.

In The End...For the NZ$9.90 plus 15% surcharge for being a patron on a public holiday, it is not a pie that I would choose to treat myself on again.


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