They're all right but I don't think they are as good as they are made out to be, give me them from Monk Bretton or them from Lundwood any day.
Amazing how some of the local delicacies we take for granted are coveted in other parts of the Country. Before he was too ill to travel, my cousin who's a big horse racing fan, used to head North and stay with us for the Leger week at Donny. Him and his wife used to go round the delis buying all manner of pies and savouries. His all time favourite was a Custard the size of a tea plate which was made by Cooplands of Doncaster. When we went down to Poole every year for a two week break with him and his wife, I always used to take four Cooplands custards with us and he was always waiting at the front door knowing what we had on board for him. There used to be a place at Bretton that made and sold pork pies. For the life of me, I can't remember the name although the name Albert rings a bell.
By the way Donny Percy Turner and his brother used to work for Albert Hirst and I'm sure he got all Hirst's pork pie Die's.
I think the son ran the market stall in the 90's (Had Albert died ?) and they did the black pudding but not sure on the pies. I think they sold out to another butcher and weren't the same after that.
I thought Albert Hirst closed down due to the miners strike affecting sales. Miners who used to buy pork pies for their snap no longer at work.
Mmmmmm Hector Ellis pies. Now they were the best pork pie I've ever tasted. These days though I go to Speed's at Monk Bretton for my pork pie fix.
Cheers Sparky. Always remember when I first moved over this way, my boss left the M1 after doing a visit in Sheffield with me , to pick up some Hector Ellis pork pies and he bought me one. It was fresh out of the oven and still warm. Never forget when I bit into it, all this juice came running out of it. I swear to God I had never tasted a pork pie like that in my life. After that my wife used to call in and collect Ellis pork pies which were a treat at our house. Disappointed when Hector retired and no one took the shop on.
We used to call on a morning if we were heading to Huddersfield, if the "shop" (front room of a terrace) was closed you could go around the back and get served straight from the bakery. Many a time the extra pies we bought for dinner time never actually made it to the job