The Clark's Pie
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Clark's Pies, also colloquially nicknamed "Clarkies" or "Clarksies" are well known meat pies in South Wales.
The Clark's Pie originates in Cardiff, and retains an historic connection with the city. It's considered, along with Brains Dark and Brains SA, as one of the city's finest culinary exports.[citation needed] It can also be found in Bristol, where Harold Percy Clark left his mother (Mary) to branch out in the late twenties, and both the family and the pie gained fame and popularity amongst the Bristolians.
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[edit] History
Mrs Mary Clark originally baked the fist Clark's Pies in 1909. The first pies were sold from a shop opened in Llanmaes Street in Grangetown, Cardiff. A second shop opened on Cowbridge Road East in nearby Canton, Cardiff in the 1930's. During World War II the first shop was closed due to wartime meat rationing.
In the 1920's, Percy (Mary's son) opened his shop in North Street, Bedminster, Bristol where he built his own pie empire up. The shop is still owned by Percy's son, Roger Clark, the last Clark in the business. Percy along with his wife Nellie Louise played a major part in the second world war; Percy, was on firewatch on the rooftop of his shop in Bedminster and Nelly kept the business going through the war with her 'Aunt Nellies Veggie Pies'. This was due to the meat shortage. At Christmas she would offer to cook local resident's turkeys in the shops bakery ovens.
Mr Dennis Dutch, Mary Taylor's grandson opened the third pie shop and bakery on the 10th May 1955 in Bromsgrove Street, Grangetown, Cardiff. In 2005, Dennis celebrated the shop's 50th anniversary. The Clark's Pie is due to celebrate its centenary anniversary in 2009.
[edit] The Recipe
The exact recipe of the pie filling is a closely guarded secret containing [beef]], vegetables and gravy. Unusually for a pie, the pastry is thick enough not to require a foil tray. Each pie has the word "CLARPIE" stamped into the pastry.
[edit] Consuming the Pie
Knives and forks are not required, the pastry is thick enough to pick up and eat in the upright position without crumbling or getting soggy. Don't microwave a Clark's Pie, microwaving the pie will negate these special qualities, turning the poor pie to jelly. Don't forget to suck out the gravy.
A Clark's Tash - The nickname given to burning the upper lip with the hot filling.
[edit] Clark's Pie Quotes
I can't remember not having a Clark's Pie. As soon as Cardiffians saw the Millennium Stadium they fell in love with it. They didn't realise why. It's like a giant Clark's pie with four cocktail sticks in it - Frank Hennessy
There's some great things that have come out of Bristol - Clark's pies, a couple of football teams.... not sure about me, though! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7257253.stm – Leicester City F.C. manager Ian Holloway erroneously claims the pie to be a Bristol invention.
