Choosing a Game Pie for Christmas

Fair Game

I look forward to tucking into an average of three traditional Christmas lunches over the festive period, what with family visits and (mostly) general greediness, but I always try and leave room for what's pushed out on the tea trolley for elevenses or supper. A game pie will certainly make an entrance at some stage. Like choosing your Christmas tree, you need to select your game pie carefully to avoid any disappointment. It needs to earn a place at the trolley.

Winners at the British Pie Awards in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire — home of the famous Melton Mowbray pork pie (which has a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status) and part of Stilton country — should provide a clue as to where to concentrate our efforts.

Truly Traceable 

Truly Traceable, the Suffolk pie people, won the Speciality Meat Pie class with their venison pie. That's their game pie at the top and it looks eminently trolley-worthy. Truly Traceable is the husband-and-wife team, Suffolk born-and-bred, of Lynn and Steve Tricker. They do pretty much everything to get these pies to your table — Steve stalks and butchers the venison and game himself, hence 'truly traceable'. You need to be located in East Anglia to up your chances of securing one of those beauties.

Don't Forget the Piccalilli

Wherever you source your game pie from, you can't leave it on your trolley without piccalilli. Our dear old friends at Tracklements do a Particularly British Piccalilli, which is more than up to the job.