9: Eat Local, Shop Local, Win Bigly

Today's pie comes from our local high street here in Folkestone. Specifically Grind n Bake, a cute and extremely orange little coffee shop and bakery, that I don't get to visit too often, but I'm always happy when I do. They offer occasional vegan pastry goods, and everything's usually very tasty and the coffee is also pretty good. Today's pie, I'm fairly sure is NOT vegan, but as I've pointed out at length, neither is this blog series, although I'm always happy to take a vegan pie option where they can be found.

Look at this beautiful pie. So regular. Crisp, chunky, hint of a sugar glaze. Full-fit lid, robust sides and shoulders. This, my friends, is not just a pie, it's a work of art. Can the taste ever live up to so much promise? I really hope so.

Bang! It's absolutely INCREDIBLE. This is hands down the best pie I've yet tried, and I'm really pleased to rip that crown away from sketchy old man Tesco, I can tell you.

The pastry texture is just perfect. There's real rigidity to it, but it crumbles away at just the right amount of tension and yields a brilliantly smooth short crust melt. The filling is amazing. Huge hit of rich citrus peel, I'm getting oranges and lemons and maybe tangerines in there. So much depth of filling. Plump raisins, no pits. I am in love with this pie, this pie is my life. If you're lucky enough to live in, or near Folkestone, go and eat some of this pie, and as you do so, laugh in mad pity at the rest of the world, denied access to such splendours by cruel, fickle geography and time. HOSANNA IN EXCELSIS