Vork Pie Vegan Handmade Pie Range – Product Review
Last weekend we visited an outdoor food market (The Garage Chilwell) that I stumbled across on Instagram. It’s been such a long time since I’ve been to any kind of food event and so I delighted in taking my sweet time walking around the stalls taking it all in!
Amongst a mixture of craft and artisan food vendors, around a corner was the Vork Pie stand which was being looked after by Sophie, Owner and very talented pie maker (spoiler alert!). While my husband and I were discussing which of the pies we’d like to buy, Sophie mentioned that she makes the pies herself by hand and they are all vegan.
There was so much to choose from, and we decided to try The Original Vork Pie and The Squashed Vork Pie – I have included direct links to the product website incase you can’t wait until the end of this review!
First Impressions
I’ve reviewed quite a few products which look nothing like the images on the packaging and I’m pleased to say that is definitely not the case here! The pies look really inviting and very professional for a handmade product. I really couldn’t wait to try them!
The Original – Official Image 
The Original – Fresh from my oven!
When I review a product I try to show you as much as I can about the product so that you can see before you buy, but I really want to point out that the pie and the filling is just as the product website shows them to be.
The Squashed – Official Image 
The Squashed – Fresh from my oven!
Let’s Cook
I should point out that you could eat the pies cold – they’d be great for a picnic, but as we were home I wanted to warm them up for lunch.
The packaging includes very simple instructions and with no glazing required it wasn’t long until it was pie o’clock!
My pies went into a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes and that was the perfect amount of time to warm the filling and to crisp the pastry!
The Look
I cooked both pies and they were a lovely golden colour. Sometimes pies can have soggy greasy pastry but not these pies. The pastry was crisp and melt in the mouth without being greasy and light too! The bottom of the pies were lovely and crisp too – they would absolutely pass the Dame Mary Berry soggy bottom test!
Before serving, I decided to cut the pies in half to see how much filling there was and as you can see, both pies are packed to the top with filling.
Starting with The Original, I can see mushrooms and lentils, but more importantly the product I bought looks just like the product advertised. The filling of The Original smells lovely and on closer inspection it looks lovely and moist.
The Squashed is packed with lovely chunks of butternut squash, carrots and lentils. It smells lovely and the filling looks lovely and moist too.
The Taste
These pies were served at lunch for myself and husband, so we had half of each pie served warm with some sauerkraut and leftover cous cous salad. We both started with The Squashed and we both commented on how delicious it was, with flavouring along the line of a samosa and lovely and moist – no need for any sauces. Unlike a samosa (or rather the samosas i’ve tried), the chunks of squash and carrot were very evident and not mushy. Cooked, but with a little bite and such a lovely sweetness that only comes from the freshest of vegetables. No cutlery needed for this pie, we both went in with our hands and as we ate, the pie held its form making it a great option for a picnic!
Having demolished The Squashed, attentions turned to The Original Vork Pie. Lovely crisp pastry, perfectly seasoned filling with bursts of mushroom and lentil that are somehow a little creamy. I’ve tried other vegan pastry products and I have always been disappointed…….. until now.
The Cost
The pies are £3.95 each on the website and the website includes a list of stockists around the UK. Click here for details.
Other Considerations
I really love that the pies were vegetable packed and didn’t rely on manufactured meat substitutes that are becoming more common in vegan/plant based foods. There’s a great emphasis on eating more plants and I’ll definitely be buying from Vork again but trying something else from their extensive range.
My only criticism is that the packaging didn’t include the nutritional panel. Perhaps the packaging is different when you buy from the website but this wasn’t included in the bio degradable sleeve which I bought in person from an event.
My Verdict
Taste : 5 out of 5 – the pies were full of flavour, the pastry was delicious and they were very generously filled.
Value for money : 5 out of 5 – fantastic pies! No wonder they’re award winning!
Likelihood of buying it again : 5 out of 5 – There’s a great emphasis on eating more plants and I’ll definitely be buying from Vork again but trying something else from their extensive range. Incidentally The Squash Pie was a Silver Award winner in the 2020 British Pie Awards.
Where To Buy It
Visit the Vork website for full details of stockists around the UK. Click here for details.
Please note that this review is based on the product that I’ve purchased and the review reflects my own honest opinion. Any additional images used for this review were borrowed from the Vork website.
Any 3rd party links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by The Lean Cook of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organisation or individual. The Lean Cook bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.
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