Apology to Homity

Photo © Rob Jones

I was prepared not to like Homity Pie.

It had been on the ‘try’ list for a few weeks. Searching through the bakers and butchers of Devon, I felt a little let down that there weren’t more local delicacies on offer. Yes of course there are pasties, tons of pasties - steak, lamb, thai curry, vegetarian, steak and ale, steak and stilton, vegan sawdust - loads of them.

And they are very nice.

But what else? Nothing else?

The other consistent offering, mainly found in Butchers I noticed is Homity Pie.

I assumed this was an age old delicacy passed down through the generations. But it was not so,

Sometimes called ‘Devon Pie,’ it seems to go back to the Second World War days when rationing meant if something was edible, then you ate it. It didn’t really take off till the sixties when it was seized upon by vegetarians.

Reading its contents, I wasn’t impressed. It’s a vegetable pie. With a filling of potatoes, onions and leek, and then covered by cheese.

Not impressed.

Oh but… wait a moment… On buying one, I found it to be a marvellous thing.

If I had to describe it, I would say it’s an open pastie, without the meat, and topped by cheese - deliciously peppery and salty. Moist, hot and steamy, nothing else needed with it. Very very filling.

Homity Pie - Tick.

R