Pies seem to be an English staple and pubs in London that serve food are always guaranteed to serve some form of pie. I had read in a few reviews that The Square Pie company is one of the better pie makers and I thought today would be a good day to test them out for myself. I had only read about the outlet at the Spitalfields Markets (though since then I found they also haves stores in Selfridges and Canary Wharf), so I jumped on the Central Line to get there for lunch.

I haven’t really had many pies here so I can’t really generalise, but I do miss the ones that you get back home sometimes, with one of my favourites being the Steak and Beer pie that Goldsteins sell. Today I opted for a Steak and Guiness pie, served with mash and gravy. The pies that they sell are not cheap, mine coming in at £4.25 and although they are big, my initial impression was that it wasn’t quite worth the price.

The pies come in a really hardy box that would no doubt survive being thrown around. The pie takes up almost two thirds of the box, with enough space for mash or mushy peas, both of which many people indulge in. The Square Pie company certainly have the whole production line all sorted out, with a person putting the pie into the box, with another dishing out the mash or peas, another to pour the gravy, and then the final person who takes the payment.

I would love to tell you that as I cut into the pie (apparently it’s not how you eat pies here) and brought that initial piece into my mouth that it was mind-blowingly tasty, but I cannot lie. The chunks of beef were moderately tasty in their rich dark gravy, but certainly not as tender as other pies that I have had. I was a little disappointed in the pastry, with the top not quite as flaky in comparison to I’m used to, and the base a lot doughier than I think it should be. The mash was nice and flavourful though and I could see the pieces of onions in the mash, adding to the combination of flavours. Admittedly the pie and mash was filling and if you’re craving a pie, then I think these ones are fine, but I probably won’t be making a journey out again specifically for those ones.

Details: The Square Pie Company
Found On: (Spitalfields Markets) 16 Horner Square, South East corner of Old Spitalfields Market, London E1 6AA, though they have branches in Selfridges and Canary Wharf
Highlights: Filling pie, nice tasty, and big chunks of beef
Room for improvement: A little overpriced and the pies could come in better pastry.
The Kua Rating: 6 out of 10