Butter pie
Encyclopedia
A butter pie is a traditional savoury pie consisting mainly of onions and potatoes.
community, to consume on days (mainly Friday) when meat could not be eaten.
To older generations, they are sometimes known as 'Catholic pies' or 'Friday pies'. In more recent decades it has become popular with vegetarians
and is often served as a vegetarian alternative alongside Lancashire hotpot
.
It is also sometimes served on a savoury barm cake. The pie is stocked by fish and chip shops
, sandwich shops
, local corner shop
s and some supermarket
s within Lancashire.
The butter pie was also mentioned by Paul McCartney in the song Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
where Paul sings (rather garbledly), "I had another look and I had a cup of tea and butter pie. (Butter pie?) The butter wouldn't melt so I put it in the pie ..."
, including Blackburn, Blackpool
, Bolton
, Burnley
, Bury
, Chorley
, Preston and Wigan
(whose residents are some times known by the nickname, pie-eaters).
From 2006, the butter pie was included in the annual World Pie Eating Championship
in Wigan, in the vegetarian
category.
Butter pies were served on match days at Preston North End's
Deepdale
stadium until 2007 when the providers, Ashworth Foods Ltd, ceased trading. With the new providers, Holland's Pies
not offering a butter pie, two Preston North End fans started a campaign on facebook
calling for the return of butter pies to the matchday menu. In 2010 the butter pie made a return to Preston North End's Deepdale stadium after the huge demand for the pie.
History
The butter pie is thought to have been created for workers from Lancashire's CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
community, to consume on days (mainly Friday) when meat could not be eaten.
To older generations, they are sometimes known as 'Catholic pies' or 'Friday pies'. In more recent decades it has become popular with vegetarians
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
and is often served as a vegetarian alternative alongside Lancashire hotpot
Lancashire Hotpot
Lancashire hotpot is a dish made traditionally from lamb or mutton and onion, topped with sliced potatoes, left to bake in the oven all day in a heavy pot and on a low heat. Originating in the days of heavy industrialisation in Lancashire in the North West of England, it requires a minimum of...
.
It is also sometimes served on a savoury barm cake. The pie is stocked by fish and chip shops
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
, sandwich shops
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
, local corner shop
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
s and some supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s within Lancashire.
The butter pie was also mentioned by Paul McCartney in the song Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album Ram. Released in the United States as a single on 2 August 1971, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1971, making it the first of a string of post-Beatles, McCartney-penned singles to top the US...
where Paul sings (rather garbledly), "I had another look and I had a cup of tea and butter pie. (Butter pie?) The butter wouldn't melt so I put it in the pie ..."
Areas
The butter pie can be found in most areas of the historic boundaries of LancashireHistory of Lancashire
The History of Lancashire begins with its establishment as a county of England in 1182, making it one of the youngest of the historic counties of England.-Early history:In the Domesday Book, some of its lands had been treated as part of Yorkshire...
, including Blackburn, Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Preston and Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
(whose residents are some times known by the nickname, pie-eaters).
From 2006, the butter pie was included in the annual World Pie Eating Championship
World Pie Eating Championship
The annual World Pie Eating Championship is usually held at Harry's Bar on Wallgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The competition has been held since 1992...
in Wigan, in the vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
category.
Butter pies were served on match days at Preston North End's
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...
stadium until 2007 when the providers, Ashworth Foods Ltd, ceased trading. With the new providers, Holland's Pies
Holland's Pies
Holland's Pies is a manufacturer of pies and puddings based in Baxenden, near Accrington in Lancashire, England. Owned by Northern Foods, the company also produce pasties, sausage rolls and pork pies.- History :...
not offering a butter pie, two Preston North End fans started a campaign on facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
calling for the return of butter pies to the matchday menu. In 2010 the butter pie made a return to Preston North End's Deepdale stadium after the huge demand for the pie.
External links
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/feb/10/foodanddrink.lancashireDivided by pie The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
]