Pudding and Pie delivery

The Ryde-based comfort-food of Pudding and Pie is something new and different. Until recently a delivery service of this kind would not have existed, unless you subscribed to meals-on-wheels. Who would order in a meal of piping hot pie, complete with veg, mash and yes, a delicious tailor-made gravy? This is the sort of meal we’d go to the pub for, or maybe our nan’s, but pie-on-demand to the doorstep? Unthinkable. That is until COVID, when pubs and nans became equally off-limits, and everything changed.

Nowadays, home-delivered hot and satisfying meals are all the rage. Sure, you can still order a pizza off the back of a fizzy moped, or receive a traditional curry or Chinese on the doorstep; but there’s a new type of delivery on the rise, and Pudding and Pie is its epitome.

It’s possible to argue that a really good cooked dinner is just a vehicle for excellent gravy. If so, Pudding and Pie would surely be the poster child for such a postulation. We’d ordered via Instagram from the selection of four pies and four puddings. All looked temptingly, reassuringly substantial and satisfying.

On Matt’s plate was a huge slab of honey-roasted ham hock pie with caramelised Roscoff onions and green peppercorns. This sticky, moist pie was an unusual and clever recipe that really enhanced what can be a dry cut of ham. The best part was the generous portion of rosemary-suffused gravy, which he enthusiastically poured over the pie, the big dollop of creamy mash and the accompanying fresh vegetables. The perfect addition to the meal. Ahh, gusto!

Cat was sorely tempted by the week’s meat-free pie: seared asparagus and seasonal greens with goats cheese, wild mushrooms and wild garlic. However, the lemon-roasted chicken pie tipped the balance. Stuffed with plenty of succulent pieces of breast meat, creamed leeks, plus those mushrooms and garlic, this was a pie to be relished. Pleasingly we had individually-themed meat sauce and Cat’s chicken gravy augmented the dish deliciously. The trio of vegetables was plentiful; nicely cooked and served with a dollop of creamy mash. Shout out for the excellent pastry, with the trademark P&P corner piece each.

Puddings? There’s a clue in the name. This is not just about the pies, plentiful though they are. A high slab of hot-cross-bun brioche bread and butter pudding with vanilla custard was Matt’s choice. This was a loaf of pudding; deliciously spiced and aromatic, and decorated with fresh berries. Remarkably, it was still warm despite having to wait its turn after our main courses.

The tasty white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake was so soft it had to be eaten from the tin, which was no bad thing. We administered lashings of cream and summer fruit compote, both provided, and took it in turns to scoop out and savour spoonfuls of the sweet dessert. These extra sauces, like the gravy, were simple enough even for us to get right, and added a lot to the presentation and enjoyment of the meal. We felt involved, we had poured sauce on it!

So the only question is how the devil is this so cheap? Delivered for £14 per head this is one of the best value takeout meals we have had during lockdown. We really hope this service will keep going once the pubs – and nans’ houses – welcome visitors again.