Young Vegan’s Pie Shop is one place that is on my list to visit, but I’m ashamed to say we’ve never actually made it there. However, when the lockdown started we saw that people where still getting their pie fix from the online shop. Two orders later and we’ve finally tried all the flavours. So let me tell you all about them.

We’ll start with the last one we tried: Mac and Cheese. The mac and cheese filling is gloriously cheddary, and very well cooked. It reminded me more of the Holland’s Cheese and Onion pies of my youth rather than eating Macaroni Pies that one time in Scotland. Which is to say it went well with gravy.

Steak and Ale (pictured on the left there) was one of Kate’s choices. She enjoyed the taste, and said it was exactly what you’d expect from a steak and ale pie, but she wasn’t keen on the mushrooms or the texture of the large steak chunks. She much preferred the Aussie Pie.

The Aussie Pie is beefy but that beef is minced and mixed with onion for a classic meat pie combo. It’s also the only pie in gluten-free pastry. Gluten-free vegans should be happy then that it gets the coveted Kate seal of approval.

Next up is a pie that I tried alone: the Chicken Parmigiana. I liked the chicken in this one but the real stars are that tomato sauce and that cheese sauce. They’re so rich, and perfect and go so well together. I insisted Kate try a bite and she said that they could have made a pizza flavoured pie, and then I broke it to her that Young Vegans have a pizza parlour and our plans for our next trip to London firmed up a bit. Except for the date.

Then there is the pie that Kate refused to even take a bite of: the cheeseburger pie. I loved it for exactly the same reason that she wouldn’t go near it: it has a gherkin in. And from that explanation you probably already know if you’ll like it too. There is a burger patty, cheese, ketchup, and the gherkin. I think it’s fast food fusion perfection.

If both of us had to pick a favourite pie though it would be the Chicken Katsu. Our love for Japanese-style curry is well documented so it comes as no surprise that we like it encased in a pie. This is a really yummy curry too.

If you’re in the UK we recommend that you order yourself some pies from Young Vegans. They’re delicious and you can pop them in the freezer and cook from frozen. Perfect.

Things have stalled around here. I had a bunch of reviews of places in London ready to to go but then, of course, we went into lockdown so then it seemed a little… odd. Instead I’m going to post about vegan businesses that are still shipping and delivering and we’ll get back to actually visiting restaurants when we can. That being said: Tyne Chease is delivering.

We first reviewed Tyne Chease in 2017 when we got a selection box. This time we tried the two new flavours: Applewood and Provençal. Applewood is a plain nut cheese smoked so if you’re expecting something more like Applewood Cheddar you’re not going to find it here. Instead it’s a delicious, soft, creamy cheese with a beautiful natural smoke. It’s really good.

Your opinion of the Provençal flavour is going to largely depend on your thoughts on eating lavender. I know some people are reminded way too much of soap and find it unappetising. I’m firmly on the pro eating lavender side of things though and this has just the right amount.  The lovely floral and herb coating brightens up the cheese and adds a touch of magic.

If you’re looking for something to add a little cheer right now, why not make an order with Tyne Chease. You won’t regret it.