My inner Yorkshire lass loves a good pie so as soon as I heard that a Pieminister had opened in Leeds, it went straight on my ‘to eat’ list. Last
weekend, I got the chance to head there for lunch and indulge in some proper pie and mash:

The pies at Pieminister are probably seen as more ‘trendy’ if you like your pies traditional, but the menu includes some interesting and tasty flavour combinations. After some deliberation I opted for the Matador; a beef, chorizo, olives and butter bean pie as I am slightly addicted to chorizo and thought it would add a new element to a traditional beef pie. After umming and ahhing between the courgette fries, sweet potato fries and the standard mash, I decided to add a stick of courgette fritters on top of my pie as a compromise. I then chose the mash as my side as I felt that I really had go for a pie, mash and gravy combination.

Drinks wise, I ordered the vanilla milkshake as a slightly unusual choice. It was served as if we were in an American diner, in a long glass with a candy cane striped straw. It was extremely tasty, with tiny chucks of chocolate laced through the drink, giving you small bursts of sweetness as you drank. My friend chose the Monocle beer which he hadn’t come across before and was extremely impressed with it. It was nice to see that there was such an interesting range of beers on the menu to accompany your pie. Personally, I didn’t think the cocktails listed looked like they fit in with the rest of menu and I did feel like they were a slightly odd addition to the menu. It’s nice to have the option, but if you don’t like beer, I would recommend the milkshake instead!

Our pies arrived quickly and I initially thought there wasn’t enough mash. However, as I started to eat I realised that it was actually the perfect portion size and it was smooth, creamy and simple. I must admit that I was disappointed that there weren’t a variety of mash options on the menu,
such as a sweet potato mash or onion mash, but the basic mash was
still tasty. The courgette fritters were added to the pie literally on a stick
which was stuck into the top of my pie. There were only four pieces, which cost an extra £1.50 but the batter was excellent; crisp, fresh and not at all
greasy.

So, what about the pie? I was really impressed with the flaky pastry, which managed to keep a nice bite to it and not go soggy at all. The contents were really tasty; huge chucks of tender beef accompanied by the smoky spice added by the chorizo. The butter beans added a different texture to
the taste and the olives added an occasional burst of saltiness. Combined with the mash and the beef and port gravy, it resulted in a very satisfying lunch which cost me just £12 in total, including my drink.

If you want a quick and filling lunch or something new to try in Leeds, Pieminister is definitely worth a visit! Have you ever been to Pieminister?