Pukking Fantastic. (Pukka Chicken and Mushroom Pie)

Member Name: loise007

Product:	Pukka Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Date:	06/03/09 (250 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A lovely big fat pie.

Disadvantages: Calorific.

Whenever we went to the seaside, we always used to call in the chippy and eat them by the seafront. We always used to have chips, Pukka-Pie and gravy, always. Depending on my mood i'd have chicken and mushroom one time then steak and kidney the other. But my favourite was always chicken and mushroom.
I'm quite a funny eater, always have been always will be, although not a funny eater in the sense of i'm picky what I eat, more in the sense of I said my favourite thing till last, say if i'm having sausage egg and chips, i'd save my sausage till last and eat that. So obviously when I was at the seaside i'd save my Pukka-Pie till last and thoroughly enjoy it too.

So Pukka-Pies, to my knowledge you wasn't able to buy Pukka Pies from the supermarket up until recently when Morrisons started selling them, (if this is wrong then I wouldn't mind someone correcting me). I'd never seen them in the shops before, they were only available to buy at the chip shop. I'd always loved Pukka Pies, so was overjoyed when I spotted them in the fridges at Morrisons, and just HAD to buy one, and have bought them a few times since.


*THE PACKAGING*

The pie comes individually wrapped in a box of it's own. On the front of the box is a picture of the pie and the name 'PUKKA-PIES' underneath it says 'our best baked chicken & mushroom pie' '...don't compromise' Also on the front of the box it says 'No hydrogenated fat' and has the price sticker. The box also has other bits of information about the product on the sides and also tells you how to prepare the pie. The nutritional information is on the back, as well as the storage and ingredients. The outer box packaging is fully recyclable.
The pie comes in the usual silver tin, which is gold on the outside to symbolise it's chicken and mushroom.

*STORAGE*

The pie should be kept in the fridge. However it is suitable for freezing, as long as it frozen on the day of purchase, and consumed within one month. (Do not refreeze after thawing)

*HOW TO COOK*

1) Pre-heat oven - from chilled (gas mark 5) from frozen (gas mark 4)
2) Remove the box
3) Leave pie in foil tin and place on a baking tray
4) From chilled - 25-30 mins
From frozen - 50 minutes
5) Enjoy.

*SMELL, TASTE, AND ALL THAT JAZZ*

Look- The pie is a big pie, biiig. It's very deep and a great man sized portion. The overall look of it is yummy. With golden crust and decorative wavy lines on the top of the pie. Inside is very deep filled with chicken, mushroom and sauce, it's not half filled like most pies, really up to the brim. As soon as I cut into it some of the insides
fall out as theres no-where else for it to go.

Smell - When the pie is in the oven cooking, a nice aroma fills the kitchen of sort of home baked pies in a sense. A nice smell, that isn't fatty or that kind of sicky smell you can get with pies.
When the pie is on my plate looking at me I cut it open and get a massive woft of creamy sort of mushroom smell. It's then more of a peppery sort of smell. I then nose dive into the pie for further inspection and take a deep snort of the aroma and it pretty much smells like chicken and mushroom really, which is always good I guess. The chicken has a delicate smell that is only apparent when my face is pretty much in the pie.

The pie itself - The pie is made from light puff pasty, as are all of the Pukka-Pie range. It's full to the brim with chicken and mushrooms. Really good sized pieces of chicken as well, and also great sized mushrooms. It's all brought together with a great creamy like sauce.

Taste - When first bit into, the main flavour I get is of the chicken, then as i begin to chew, the mushroom becomes more apparent, as well as a quite nice peppery flavour, which just adds to the whole texture and aroma. The pastry tastes lovely and quite buttery, but not overly buttery, and definately not fatty. All of the flavours compliment eachother and all make the pie itself.

Texture- The texture of the pie is nice and soft, quite deliacte, and the pasty is soft inside but crunchyish on the outside which is nice, and gives it a great differing texture. The filling is smooth and with the mushrooms sometimes chewyish, but not in a bad way. The flakyness of the pastry just adds to the overall lovely texture, and makes the pie a bloody cracking pie.

*WHAT THEY SAY..*

PUKKA PIES is an independent company with a passion for pies. They are amde with the FINEST ingredients in stringently hygienic conditions by dedicated and caring people. They are full FILLED in a light puff pastry; they TASTE great and have true FLAVOURS. The proof is in the eating. TRY ONE... Don't compromise.


*WHAT I SAY...*

Pukka Pies is a great brand to buy from, with good quality ingredients and it's easily recognisable that these pies are lovingly baked. I like the fact they're sold individually which gives you a sense that the pies aren't just thrown together, it's like each pie has it's own individual time taken over it. I've always liked Pukka-Pies and I think I always will.

*WHAT ELSE?*

No hydeogenated fats
No artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives.
Typically less salt than government maximum target for meat pies of 1.1g per 100 grams.
Never heat pie in microwave.
Always check pie in piping hot inside before serving.
Do not reheat pie after cooking.
Although care is taken, pie may contain chicken bones.

*NUTRITIONAL INFO*

Amount per pie.

Energy - 475kcal/1978kJ
Protein - 17.2g
Carbohydrate - 35.5g
Of which sugars - 0.7g
Fat - 29.2g
Of which saturates - 11.3g
Fibre - 7.9g
Sodium - 0.93g
Salt - 2.26g

*ALLERGIES*

Contains:

Celery
Gluten
Soya
Wheat

May contain traces of:

Egg
Milk

*WHERE TO BUY*

I've just checked the website on where to buy as I only knew one shop sold them but it turns out theres a few, so here is what the website says:

Fish & Chip Shops
Butchers & Bakers
Supermarkets
- Asda - available to order online in most areas
- Morrisons
- Sainsburys - available to order online in most areas-
- Somerfield - available to order online in most areas
- Tesco - available to order online in most areas
- Co-op (Midlands)

*ANY OTHER FLAVOURS AVAILABLE?*

As well as Chicken&Mushroom they also do:

Steak & Kidney Pie
Beef & Onion Pie
All Steak Pie
Potato & Meat Pie
Cornish Pasties
Beef & Onion Pukka Pasties
Potato, Cheese & Onion Pasties
Jumbo Sausage Rolls


*HOW MUCH?*

I'm not sure how much they are from different shops as prices probably are probably ranging. But this pie was bought from Morrisons for a pound, which is really quite reasonable, as if I went to the chippy it would cost alot more than that. Personally I think these are well worth a pound of anybodys money.

*OVERALL*

I love these pies, fair enough I couldn't eat them everyday as they're quite fatty, and we all know pies aren't great for us, but they're nice as a treat every so often. Quality ingredients with no hydrogenated fat, which we all know we shouldn't be eating. No artificial colours, preservatives or flavouring, where can you go wrong? Great tasting, great flavours and a great big pie, all for a mere pound, we can still eat great food in this credit crunch...

Thanks for reading.

Summary: Don't compromise.