There’s a definite autumnal feel in the air now but as we head away from those balmy summer days, there is some good news – Pie & Pint Wednesday is back at The Crown in Hartest! Pies are so quintessentially English and just perfect at this time of year when the nights start drawing in.

Every Wednesday lunchtime and evening, you can enjoy a freshly cooked pie (choose from 3 including a vegetarian option) with mash, seasonal vegetables and gravy plus a pint of Brewshed beer, glass of wine or soft drink for £11.

All this talk of pies made us hungry so we asked head chef Ricky for his top tips on pie making and how to avoid that dreaded ‘soggy bottom’:

• Use a simple ratio for pastry to get perfect results – half fat to flour, half water to fat, eg 1kg flour, 250g lard, 250g butter and 250g water (do weigh for accuracy)
• A mix of lard and butter gives a shorter, crispier pastry
• Don’t try to roll the pastry too thin as the pie will lose structure but if it’s too thick it will be doughy on the inside! Aim for the thickness of a £1 coin
• Stick to a relatively thick sauce then serve more gravy on the side
• Make a decent sized whole in the lid to let steam escape

Roll on Wednesday…