Nothing beats a good pie when it’s done properly, and with 100 varieties under their belts, the team at The Tiger Inn have probably got a fair idea how to make them. The Man Bird and I were going over to sample the 100th variety, aptly named the Derbyshire Pie, and thought the Tribal Elders might like a tootle over too.
The pub itself is a lovely cosy traditional affair and it was lively even at 6pm with those having a quick drink after work and like-minded diners eager to fill their tummies. Luckily we had reserved a table so had no problem get seated, and duly settled in to admire the absolutely stunning views over the Derbyshire Countryside.
Before long our server came over to take our orders: Derbyshire pie for me and My Mummy Bird, Shepherd’s Pie for Daddy Bird and the Pulled Pork and Chicken Pie for His Nibs. The Boys pie has a choice of Puff or Short crust pastry top and he opted for the puff version, and all pies come with a selection of freshly cooked vegetables and homemade chips.
As you would expect, there was a longer than usual wait as the pies are done to order, but to be honest I would rather wait 5 minutes more and have piping hot , fresh food than have mediocre dishes arrive speedily.
The Man was at the bar getting more drinks in when our pies arrived at the table and I couldn’t resist having a sneaky peek under the pastry top of his pie. When the team say “Pulled pork and Chicken” then that’s exactly what you get; the pie dish was rammed to the gunnels with just those two meats, no veg, no filler, just pure protein. It smelt blooming good; I can tell you dear reader, and I did beg a small morsel later from him and can confirm it tasted delicious.
The Derbyshire Pie comes with a Short crust top, and the pastry itself was lovely and buttery and rich. As well as having Derbyshire Lamb in it, the pie also has root vegetables, Aup mi duck Ale and Blue Cheese from Hartington Creamery in it. Again, it was just fabulous and we cleared our pie dishes of every last scrap.
My Daddy Birds Shepherd’s Pie had a lovely deep top of fluffy mash as well that hid its moreish contents, and he said it was a lovely rich pie that tasted great.
We had a selection of vegetables: Braised Red Cabbage, Fine Green Beans, Peas and Carrots, and without exception they were all cooked perfectly with a bit of crunch left to them. The homemade Chips were lovely too, nice and crispy outside with fluffy insides, and not at all greasy.
We didn’t manage to have pudding as our bellies were stuffed to the brim with the magnificent pies we had enjoyed, but they do have a very tempting dessert selection should you have room for a little sweet treat.
All the staff were very pleasant and smart, and I’ve got to say that at £6 for a pie the food is excellent value for money. If you haven’t been before (and we hadn’t), it’s a lovely run to Turnditch village, there’s ample parking and the food is well worth trying, so definitely go sooner rather than later .
