Men’s Pie Club – it’s all about bringing ‘pie men’ together to craft tempting pies and have a chat along the way. A simple chat and a humble pie can help a lot.
Tom Hannon, PCP Project Delivery Officer is supporting the creation and development of Men’s Pie Clubs throughout the region. So far, there are ‘Pie Clubs’ in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees and Bishop Auckland, with further exciting work taking place behind the scenes to make more pie clubs a reality.
Tom has been working with the The Last Post – a pub that is no ordinary pub. Established by Julia Cooper, the pub was originally based in Stockton town centre. Julie had the idea of collecting memorabilia relating to the services and the men who laid their lives down to serve the country.
A few years pass by, and a move of venue is in store for the pub to nearby Thornaby. The pub has expanded and now contains a military museum - you can't miss it as you drive into the car park you can see a huge V1 Second World War rocket on display in the backyard.
Amongst other things, the pub has won ‘Best British Pub’ in 2019 and was runner up in pub of the year. Julie has also won an award for her work in the community, with presenter/actress, Joanna Lumley and Melvin Downes (SAS) donating and agreeing to become their patrons.
Fast forward to now – it’s midday on a Wednesday, and it’s time for the boys at The Last Post to get together for the Pie Club.
The Pie Club is in one of the rooms inside the pub. As like most of the pub, it's covered in memorabilia, flags, mannequins dressed in full military uniform. On arrival the pie equipment is set out neatly by Fez (who was in the Navy), in three areas of pie contents preparation, pastry and baking. Michael (army mechanised infantry) and part-time Museum Guide usually starts to prep the pastry, when the guys roll in and then they all take up their positions.
The pub has obviously attracted a lot of servicemen and women, however it’s inclusive, and anybody is welcome.
Kevin who attends the Pie Club is a keen ghost hunter, maybe one of the quieter members of the team, but they won't let him sit on his own, everyone is encouraged to do their bit and be involved. Then of course there's Mickey, the elder statesman of the group. He's not as mobile as he used to be, due to a work accident, but still gets about and get stuck in.
The guys have now had eight pie clubs, and with getting more experienced, they have produced a range of pies including an exploding egg and bacon pie (fortunately there were no casualties) - although Andy was in the firing line, he managed to evade the majority of the egg.
Tom will be continuing his journey to set up more Pie Clubs in the Tees Valley, hoping to spread the success of The Last Post Pie Club and bring more men together to support Men’s Pie Club ethos: ‘It’s all about tackling social isolation and improving mental health. It’s for guys who live alone, or feel alone, or just need an excuse to get out more. There’s no stress and no pressure. Just a bit of cooking.’
Tom said: “I will be calling in to see how the guys are getting on from time to time. I have no doubt that the Last Post Pie club will last, under the protective wing of commander Julia Cooper and the great set of guys there.”
Pioneering Care Partnership is working in partnership with Men's Pie Club to deliver Men's Pie Clubs. Men's Pie Clubs was set up by Newcastle based Food Nation, with funding from Movember. To find out more about Men's Pie Club and where to find one near you, visit www.menspieclubs.co.uk
Looking to set up a Men's Pie Club from your community hub or venue? Get in touch with Tom on thomas.hannon@pcp.uk.net
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