Wall’s Pasty

wall's pasty

The first product I reviewed on this blog was the Cornish Pasty from Ginsters, and it was quite nice, earning an 8.0 out of 10. Now it’s time to review its main rival.

The first thing I noticed about the Wall’s pasty is the absence of the word “Cornish” in its name. Taking a look at the back of the rather nice matte packaging reveals it to be very similar to the Ginsters version, “Minced beef with potato, swede & onion, seasoned and wrapped in puff pastry”.

After some research on the gov.uk website, it seems the reason is a legal one. The Protected Food Name Scheme was set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to protect certain food regions, so for example, Kentish Ale can only be called such if it comes from Kent, Stilton blue cheese has to come from Stilton, and Cornish Pasties can only be named that way if it originates from Cornwall.

However, despite not originating from Cornwall, this is a perfectly good petrol station pasty! Compared to the Ginsters pasty, the pepper isn’t as overpowering and the pastry is less bready, however there’s less bite due to not having the thick, square shingles of potato like the Ginsters pasty did, instead opting for smaller, softer pieces. There is slightly more meat inside than the Ginsters pasty, 16% of the filling is beef, however I have the same problem with this one, in that the meat is more of a paste than what you would get from a proper pasty, which is odd as their website describes “tender beef chunks” which in my experience weren’t there.

So overall, I don’t think the Wall’s pasty is as good as the Ginsters one. However, it’s still a perfectly good snack food and worth buying if you’re in the mood for such a thing!

Unfortunately I forgot to catch the price of this item as I was buying other things with it, but once I find out how much they cost I’ll be adjusting the score to reflect that.

7.8/10

-T

Ginsters Buffet Bar

In the last review, Ginsters kicked Cheap Eats off to a flying start with their fan favorite, the Cornish Pasty. However this time I’m a little more dubious, as the item in the spotlight is an odd one. Ginsters Buffet Bar, “British pork sausage meat, filled with crisp coleslaw, soft cheese and mayonnaise, wrapped in breadcrumbs.” Huh…

I’ve never heard of Buffet Bars before, perhaps they’re a regional delicacy, or maybe they’re an original creation invented by Ginsters themselves, but you have to admit, that is a strange sounding combination of flavours…

Taking the first bite, you’ll find the item is remarkably similar to one of those mini scotch eggs you can buy in supermarkets, however as promised the inside is stuffed with cheese and coleslaw. It’s actually quite nice! As someone who isn’t a big fan of egg, this is a solid alternative to the traditional scotch egg. The dominant flavour is the breading and the sausage meat, with the cheese and coleslaw taking a back seat. Just like with the pasty from last time, the breading has a strong peppery taste and spiciness to it.

In conclusion, Ginster’s Buffet Bar is a surprisingly good snack item, one that I would recommend to anyone who fancies a scotch egg-type snack but with a twist. It’s worth a try, especially for only 75p.

7.5/10

-T

Ginsters Cornish Pasty

So! We’re starting off this blog with the Ginsters Cornish Pasty, a staple of petrol stations and corner shops everywhere. If you’re in the UK and aren’t vegetarian, chances are you’ve tried one of these, especially considering the fact that you can often pick them up for a quid. That’s how much I paid for mine from my local Sainsbury’s.

Let’s start with the packaging. The packaging on Ginsters products used to be rather plain, a simple black exterior like any other similar pastry snack. However earlier this year they changed to this silky material for their packaging, depicting a rural Cornish scene next to a little window to see the pasty through. It’s really rather nice!

But you’re not here for packaging! You want to know how it tastes! Well The main thing you notice when biting into one is the potatoes. They’re thickly cut into square shingles and add a nice element of bite. Next is the beef. The beef isn’t minced like how you would expect from a proper pasty from a proper butcher, it’s more of a paste, but for only a pound you really can’t complain too much. It would be nice to have a little more of it, as only 15% of this product is beef. There’s also some other vegetables in there, mostly Onion and Swede but also some leek which is a nice touch.

One thing I wasn’t expecting was the heat, there’s plenty of pepper in the filling along with some mustard seeds, coriander and turmeric for seasoning, resulting in a somewhat hot, peppered steak kinda vibe. I’m also impressed with the size of the pasty! At 227 grams it’s big enough to be considered a meal, and not simply a side to a sandwich or sausage roll etc. It is genuinely filling.

All in all, This item rightly earns it’s place as a staple British snack food. It’s reputation has grown to the point of meme status among Brits and it tastes pretty good too! Expect to see other Ginsters items on Cheap Eats in the future.

8.0/10

-T

Welcome!

We’ve all been there. It’s 11:30 at night, there’s no food in the house, all the shops are closed, and there’s a 24 hour convenience store across the road. You walk in, your stomach rumbling, searching for something to enjoy. But what to buy? A sandwich? A pastry? maybe some cup noodles? There’s so much choice…

Here at Cheap Eats, we want to turn the spotlight onto areas of the food industry that doesn’t get much love (accept from us!). Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be reviewing everything from petrol station sandwiches, to things you may find on your local takeaway menu. All of our reviews are written as we’re in the middle of tasting, so our opinions and thoughts are immediately written down for you to enjoy. We’ll also be covering the occasional recipe so you can try some of our suggestions at home!

Sometimes, you don’t want anything fancy or long-winded, you just want something quick and tasty, and that’s where we come in!

– T