British Pie Week is upon us and London has risen to the occasion with a host of pie-related activities...
What: Lemon Batasha pie
Where: Tamarind, Mayfair (above)
When: 2-8 March
What do you have to do? Engage your sweet tooth: this Indian twist on a traditional meringue pie contains crispy sweet pastry filled with lemon cream, topped with sugar Batasha candy.
What: Great British Pork Pie Off
Where: Princess Victoria, Shepherd’s Bush
When: 2 March
What do you have to do? Buy a ticket and raise money for Action Against Hunger (£10). Chefs including Social Eating House's Paul Hood, The Dairy's Robin Gill and Newman Street Tavern's Peter Weeden are entering their twist on a traditional pork pie and competing for the opportunity to have a limited number sold in Selfridges’ Food Hall. You can vote for your favourites… and taste them, too.
What: Six Nations Challenge
Where: Windmill Mayfair (above)
When: 2-7 March
What do you have to do? Step up to the line and tackle each of the daily-changing pies, made from recipes inspired by the six competing rugby nations, including Welsh lamb pie paired with Brains Best Bitter, Irish beef and horseradish pie with a Jameson and Burgundy pie with a glass of Pinot. Customers who try a minimum of five of the six will receive a free pie and t-shirt for their efforts.
What: My Oh Pie!
Where: The Draft House, via Instagram
When: 2-8 March
What do you have to do? Enter an Instagram competition to create your own pie masterpiece using Draft House’s pie flip-chart, featuring ingredients such as streaky bacon, Bramley apple, salt-marsh lamb, Devon scrumpy and Stilton. There are two categories: most delicious and craziest. A shortlist of pies will be thrown to the judgement of Twitter.
What: Free apple and rhubarb pie
Where: Hunter 486, Marble Arch (above)
When: 2-8 March
What do I have to do? Order a homemade game pie and get your free apple and rhubarb pie. Double pie!
What: Special pie menu
Where: The Parlour, Kensal Green
When: 2-8 March
What do you have to do? Prepare for a trio of pies: a pork pie, followed by a fish pie and then apple pie for pudding. The fish pie even has a fish tail poking out of the top. Fishy business. Don't forget the famous Parlour cow pie (£16) – which never leaves the menu: a steak and ale pie with a suet crust and bone marrow bone in the middle.
What: A whole month of pies
Where: Savoy Grill, Strand (above)
When: until the end of March
What do you have to do? Eat a lot of pies. Each week throughout March, head chef Andy Cook will put his signature twist on different flavours of traditional, handmade pies. Each pie will be matched with a wine or beer to complement the flavour. The month kicks off with Norfolk Black chicken and crayfish pie with tarragon sauce.