There is always something special about a pork pie. It is a very simple item. It feels classic, British & takes pride of place at every family picnic I have every attended. Yet Gluten Free Pork Pies are definitely a much more reclusive member of the picnic. However, Voakes Free From have found a way to bring Gluten Free Pork Pies out of their shells & show them off to the world…
I’ve heard of Voakes Free From for quite a while now. It is the gluten free range from Voakes Pies! You might have heard of Voakes Pies as in 2014 they got a whole host of highly commended awards at the Free From Food Awards for their Gluten Free Pies. However, more likely you will have heard of them because… in 2015 they won the overall best free from product for their Gluten Free Pork Pies!
To think that a pork pie enthusiast like myself, who has gone without a single sniff of a pork pie for well over 5 years, had never even thought to try Voakes’ Gluten Free Pork Pies before, well…. its a crime. So, a few days ago I jumped on the Voakes Free From Website & put in an order!
The range of different free from products on the Voakes Free From website is amazing. Gluten Free Chicken Pies, Game Pies, Steak & Ale Pies, Quiches, Pasties, Sausage Rolls & Pastry. How could I possibly decide! What is also great is that a lot of the Voakes Free From products are not only Gluten Free & suitable for Coeliacs. Plenty of products are also Egg Free, Dairy Free, Soya Free & Vegan; this is clearly stated on the online shop so there is no confusion.
Furthermore, Voakes Free From products are all created in a dedicated gluten and wheat free environment. It is great to hear that they emphasise there is no chance of cross contamination.
So after much deliberation I chose 4 delicious Gluten Free Treats for the weekend:
1. Traditional Pork Pie
2. Pork & Chilli Pie
3. Chicken Pie
4. Sausage Roll
1. Traditional Pork Pie
Oh my Pork Pie! This gluten free pork pie was amazing. The pastry was beautifully golden It had a firm yet crumbly texture. The pork tastes seriously high quality & actually comes directly from the Voakes family’s stock of pigs. It is well seasoned and enjoys a little jelly between the pastry & pork. My description probably cannot do this pie justice, it was probably the best pork pie I have ever tasted. Seriously how can this be Gluten Free & Dairy Free?!
2. Pork & Chilli Pie
Similarly to the award winning traditional Gluten Free Pork Pies that Voakes make, the Pork & Chilli Pie looked too inviting to turn down! It has the same delicious golden pastry on the outside which encases the high quality pork filling. However, the Gluten Free Pork & Chilli Pie has the addition of a mouthwatering hot but sweet chilli chutney, created by Puckett’s Pickles. The chutney brought heat & excitement to the pie. It’s a moist and flavoursome pie, that needs to be tasted by all asap!
3. Chicken Pie
So I thought it would be good to try out a slightly different product from Voakes Free From, I had always thought of them as just doing the gluten free pork pies, however they also do chicken pies using the exact same pastry. I don’t think I have ever had chicken inside this type of pie so I was intrigued as to how it might work. The chicken filling is succulent and bound by a creamy white sauce. The filling is plentiful too, one thing Voakes never do is scrimp on their filling! If you have, or haven’t, tried a chicken pie, essentially created with ‘Pork Pie’ pastry, I would highly recommend you try this. It is, in my opinion, glorious!!
4. Sausage Roll
I have loved sausage rolls my whole life. I must admit I have probably eaten a lot more bad quality sausage rolls compared to good quality. This is the best sausage roll I have ever consumed, & it is gluten free. Just like their Gluten Free Pork Pies the filling is exquisite. The pork is seasoned perfectly & the pastry is traditionally luxurious. It melts in the mouth & is perfectly flakey. How this pastry is dairy free & gluten free is beyond me again! I could certainly do with one of these piping hot on a chilly day or cold dipped in chutney on a hot summers day. I could seriously eat this every single day.
Voakes Free Free From seriously know how to do free from. I wanted to know what all the fuss was about when I saw their Gluten Free Pork Pies won the big prize at the Free From Awards 2015. I certainly understand why they won now. Adding these four amazing gluten free items to my basket was one of the greatest things I have done in 2015 so far.
There isn’t a soul on this earth who enjoys a pork pie, or a sausage roll that wouldn’t enjoy these. Those who eat gluten would never be able to tell the difference & would definitely prefer these delicious products to any supermarket bought pork pie. Mark & I have rarely commented on how high quality a meat tastes, but upon trying the Voakes Free From products, we did just that.
Where can I get myself Gluten Free Pork Pies & the rest of the range from Voakes?
Well, like I did you can purchase all Voakes products on their website. They are incredibly efficient in sending orders out so I would highly recommend this option. My pies came perfectly in a chilled box with icepacks. Click here to visit their website for the online shop.
On their website they also have a list of stockists & markets where you can purchase the Voakes Free From range. It is really simple… just type in your postcode and it will show you the closest places to where you live that you can buy some tasty gluten free pork pies! Click here for the Stockists & Markets page.
I cannot recommend Voakes Free From Pies enough. Have you tried them before? Let me know what you think if you have. Or if you have a passion for pork pies & sausage rolls, let me know how much you have been missing them since eating gluten free! Leave a comment below. Or on Facebook/Twitter.
Thanks for reading, I’m off for another slice of pie!
Becky xxx
