Here at Shots HQ our journos have had the hard job of stuffing their faces with some of the UK's finest foods. That's because we've been celebrating - and eating - our areas best grub!
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00:00 Here at Show Us HQ our journals have had the hard job of stuffing their faces with some of the UK's finest foods.
00:07 That's because we've been celebrating and eating our area's best grub.
00:11 From the Yorkshire Pudding Challenge to the Wigan Kebab, we've got all you need and more to get your mouth watering.
00:17 It's fair to say that the crooked billets just outside of Saxton and nestled between the Lotherton Estate and Tadcaster Golf Club
00:26 really does appreciate Yorkshire puddings in a giant way.
00:30 If you're feeling particularly peckish, you can tuck into Yorkshire's as a starter, a main and even a dessert.
00:37 Looking into the history of the pub, I found that they used to do these giant Yorkshire puddings which were made in old fashioned loaf tins.
00:46 So I did a bit of research and thought it would be a good unique selling point to bring the Yorkshire puddings back to the crooked billet.
00:55 So we reinvented them, changed the recipe slightly and changed the shape by doing them in square baking trays
01:03 and trying to get the height as high as possible for the Yorkshire pudding and put all the filling inside.
01:10 We go through 100 eggs a day, 4, 8 litres of milk, a couple of kilos of plain flour a day
01:22 and it's fun to make them, yeah.
01:26 We do sell loads of Yorkshire puddings as you can imagine.
01:30 Never ending job.
01:31 Never ending job and Sundays are our busiest day when we're doing between 300 to 400 Yorkshire puddings in 6 hours.
01:40 So you can imagine how busy we are.
01:41 The Yorkshire pudding challenge is really popular and it's really enjoyable as well.
01:45 A lot of people complete it.
01:47 Once they've completed it they earn their space on what we call our Wall of Fame which is the social media wall of fame.
01:53 So it's a three course challenge.
01:55 Your first course is a Yorkshire pudding filled with our homemade meaty gravy.
02:01 When that comes to the table people get the confidence.
02:04 They think oh this is nothing, you know we can definitely do the challenge.
02:08 And then we like to shock them with the main course, the main event which is one of Scott's giant Yorkshire puddings
02:15 and he fills it with home roasted meat, mashed potato, roast potato, gravy and as much gravy as you want.
02:23 And then you've of course got a side of veg as well to go with that.
02:26 So that kind of always takes everybody by surprise.
02:30 And then the dessert, if they manage to eat that, we've then got the dessert which is a Yorkshire pudding
02:36 filled with vanilla ice cream, homemade butterscotch sauce and squirty cream on the top.
02:42 So that always kind of looks like everybody has a look of defeat when they see that.
02:50 And ask if they can take a break. Can we have a break between the main and the dessert please?
02:54 Back in the olden days they used to have Yorkshire puddings with jam in as the dessert so it's just followed on from there really.
03:01 It's been brought up with them, Yorkshire puddings.
03:03 My mum used to make them with nan.
03:05 We used to have a starter as a Sunday roast as a Yorkshire pudding then one with your main.
03:09 So it's just normal for Yorkshire people really to carry on this tradition.
03:13 Yeah, as many Yorkshire puddings as you can manage.
03:17 You can never have enough Yorkshire pudding I don't think on your Sunday dinner.
03:22 Livelong being a stiple of the region's food culture, offered alongside hearty points in local taverns,
03:29 the Humble Pork Scratching is deeply rooted in the West Midlands industrial past,
03:34 dating back to the 1800s.
03:36 As the region industrialised, workers sought out affordable, calorie-dense food to sustain themselves.
03:42 Families would get their pig skin, often from pigs raised at home,
03:46 boil it to remove the hair, cut it up and deep fry it in a pot of fat.
03:50 The result was a crunchy snack that was cost-effective while offering plenty of flavour.
03:56 Their association with tradition and identity also plays a role in their popularity.
04:01 Intrinsic to our heritage, linking current generations with their forebears who worked in the area's factories and mines.
04:08 The emergence of pubs during the period further ingrained pork scratchings in local food culture.
04:13 Publicans offered them at the bar, complimenting the aisles and stouts they served.
04:18 The salty flavour proved to be the perfect accompaniment to a good point,
04:23 leading local people to develop a fondness for them.
04:26 While they wouldn't traditionally be considered a health food,
04:29 the recent wave of interest in protein-rich, low-carb diets has contributed to a resurgence in their popularity elsewhere.
04:37 Today, they're sometimes even marketed as a guilt-free alternative to crisps and other carb-heavy snacks.
04:44 Admittedly, you couldn't be blind for thinking a mix of pig skin and lard would be a somewhat acquired taste
04:51 in an age where more elegant and exotic food is so readily available.
04:55 Do people here in the heart of England still hold much regard for this iconic regional snack?
05:01 We've never tried pork scratchings and we don't want to either.
05:05 Would you be willing to?
05:06 No, no, we're vegetarian.
05:07 Have you ever tried pork scratchings?
05:09 I haven't.
05:10 You haven't tried them? Would you like to?
05:11 Yes, please.
05:12 A bit tough.
05:18 They're alright to be fair. Quite nice.
05:23 Do you think you'd try them again?
05:25 Don't think so.
05:26 For better or worse, pork scratchings possess a strong history here,
05:30 tied closely to the region's economic and cultural development.
05:34 Arising from habits of frugality and resourcefulness,
05:37 since becoming a beloved part of the region's culinary identity,
05:41 in many ways it could be said their enduring popularity pays testament to the resilience,
05:46 adaptability and character of people here in the West Midlands.
05:51 This is a pie barn, or well known to the North West as the Wigan Kebab.
05:56 Wigan is famous for its love of pies and is the home of the World Pie Eating Championship,
06:01 where competitors and spectators from across the globe gather to witness who can scoff down a pie the quickest.
06:08 The annual tradition has been ongoing since 1992,
06:11 and it's no surprise the reigning champion is from the very town the competition originated from.
06:17 The Greater Manchester Borough's enthusiasm for pie eating has inspired the Wigan Kebab,
06:22 a meat pie sandwiched between two buttered halves of a bread roll.
06:26 This means the meat-filled pastry can be eaten on the go,
06:29 as the bread soaks up any sauce and protects hands from getting burnt.
06:33 This local delicacy can be found around Wigan in chain and independent bakeries,
06:38 and we decided to grab a couple to try for ourselves.
06:42 We ordered from Wigan chain Galloways, an independent local site, the Rolling Pin Bakery in Newtown.
06:48 So we're here today to try the famous Wigan Kebab, also known as the pie barn.
06:53 I went to two places today. I went to Galloways, which is a chain bakery in Wigan,
06:59 and I also went to the Rolling Pin Bakery, which was an independent bakery.
07:04 So I thought I'd pick up two to try. I've never tried them before,
07:07 so this is going to be a very unique experience. And then, yeah, let's dig in.
07:11 So we're just going to cut them in half. Now, both of these, I believe, are meat and potato pies,
07:17 which is the traditional way of making a Wigan Kebab.
07:22 So if we just cut this one up and look inside. Oh, there you go.
07:28 So that's what we're seeing inside of the Galloways Wigan Kebab. It smells amazing, actually.
07:35 OK, so this is the taste test. I'm going to try the Galloways one first.
07:40 You know what? I was unsure what to think of this because I was thinking it was a lot of just bread and pastry.
07:46 I thought it was really quite dry. But actually, it's not that dry at all.
07:51 I'm really quite shocked with this. Let's move on to the Rolling Pin Bakery Wigan Kebab.
07:56 So like I said, this one looks like it's got a lot more potato in it.
08:03 I was expecting them to taste more similar, but they actually do taste completely different.
08:09 This one's really tasty. The pie crust is really, really crunchy, whereas this one's a little bit softer from Galloways.
08:17 Well, that was the first ever time that I tried the Wigan Kebab, and I can say it's completely exceeded my expectations.
08:23 I definitely thought it was going to be really dry, and then not.
08:26 Obviously, they're a hugely iconic food item in the Northwest. And yeah, it was really cool to try them out.
08:33 After sampling the two Wigan Kebabs, I think it's fair to say I'm pleasantly surprised by how easy they are to eat.
08:40 I'm not sure I'll get used to the idea of pastry sandwich between two halves of bread, but both pie barms were full of flavour.
08:47 The Wigan Kebab certainly is a Northwest delicacy.
08:51 And if it's piqued your interest, there are plenty available to pick up from bakeries all around the borough.
08:57 I have randomly selected three top rated Liverpool restaurants and ordered curry for delivery.
09:03 Now let's put them to the taste test.
09:05 Everyone has their favourite Indian local takeaway. I have several.
09:12 Today, we have ordered from Sultan's Palace, and I've got a classic.
09:17 I've got the Butter Chicken Curry. First of all, smells great.
09:24 Now for the taste test. I did order a side of rice, but I'm going to go in straight in.
09:31 Try the sauce on its own first.
09:36 A lovely, mild, tomatoey, creamy dish, as you'd expect it to be.
09:43 Pretty decent, tender chicken breast.
09:47 Of course, curry comes in all shapes and sizes. And I've chosen to order something now for my lunch from Bundabust for their completely meat free menu.
09:59 I've gone for a paneer curry, which is actually a personal favourite of mine.
10:03 This is the paneer kadai, and it is a paneer cheese simmered in rich mixed pepper and tomato sauce with onions.
10:10 Going in with the sauce, can I say as well, you can see a lot of fresh coriander on the top of this.
10:15 Smells delicious.
10:19 You can really taste the peppers in there. It's not incredibly spicy at all, but it has got some nice flavours.
10:27 So here in front of me, I have the slow cooked beef Thai green curry from Roses, and it does smell really delicious.
10:39 And I can already see there's loads of vegetables in there. So it does say it comes with aubergine, bamboo shoots and sweet basil.
10:49 I've just got a spoon. I did get some jasmine rice on the side, but I'm going to go in just to try the curry itself, just the sauce.
10:57 First of all, give that the taste test.
11:01 First up, it's really creamy and then it turns into quite a heat.
11:10 I'm going to go in now for some of that slow cooked beef.
11:14 Wow, that absolutely melts in your mouth.
11:16 I've taken some time to really digest not only the food, but think about the scores.
11:25 And although I really enjoyed them all, I will have to say my favourite might just have to be just by a smidgen.
11:34 The Thai green curry from Roses, I think it really packed a punch, not just in terms of heat, but also the spices that were in there.
11:46 Saying that honestly, I really did enjoy them.
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