Stallard12 Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Just a nothing moment to let Obs catch his breath and relax. My best friend's family, the Smiths, owned what I thought was the best 'chipper' in town. It was almost on the corner of Marsh House Lane amd Gorsey lane, I think there was a green grocer right on the corner. Two doors down from Smith's, was Warburton's bakery, to which, every Saturday morning, I would be despatched to collect four of the best meat and potatoe pies I've ever tasted. I would also have with me a pint jug to collect the succulent gravy to pour over them. To steal from Harry : 'Happy days'. I've checked on Google and they don't exist anymore. Maybe y'all have some fond gastronomic memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 There’s still a chip shop at that location although these days I think that they sell just as many kebabs as they do fish and chips. Interesting to hear that Warburton’s bakery was once located down that way but that had to be a long time ago because for as long as I can remember, Warburtons was half way down Orford Lane. Their bakery closed about ten years ago but the legend of the world famous Warbies meat and potato pie will go on forever. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 You could be right Bill, I'm talking 1952. Warburton's rolled easily off my tongue, maybe because of their fame, maybe someone can correc me if indeed it was another name. It was definitely a family bakery. Maybe Harry patrolled that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Certainly don't remember Warburtons near Marsh house lane. They had a shop on Lovely Lane , but the main bakery was in Orford Lane. There was a secret way of getting access through their back gate. Apart from the ovens, there were sacks of potatoes. On nights, pop a tater in on your first time round and it was done to a T the next time you passed by. Eat it sat on one of the sacks and you had bliss on a winters night. Unfortunately, the sergeants also knew of this illicit spot........ The only other family bakery at that time I remember was Walkers on Pinners Brow; Currall's in Latchford and later Tomlins in Synge street; Stringers in Latchford. I used to get pies for my lunch from bakeries and hid them in my cape. Nicksons in Bridge street (before they got done); Cissie Keefes near the green; and ?Bayley Isaacs were others I used to use. We've had a previous topic in bakeries around Winwick road, Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 I remember that chippie stallard. Often bought fish, chips and peas from there and enjoyed them. Wasn't the same when it changed owners though. But the best chips ever were from the chinese in Buttermarket Street. Was always a big queue there and was no wonder. Brilliant food, chinese and english, but after they built up a good business the Greek owner they rented from wanted the chippie back for himself and so the family returned to China and the business went fast downhill afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Warby's meat and potatoe pies were brill; nice soft pastry, can't seem to get the likes nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Probably something to do with them greedy bankers Obs, or possibly Somalian immigrants :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 I have e-mailed my buddy Smithy, he should know the bakery's name seeing as how he lived almost next door for years. The almost black gravy, sold by the jug, was the coup de grace. Joe's chipper in Grappenhall was about as good as it gets. The worst that it got were the chips after the war, when they were forced to cook with whale oil or something ughh! When you think back, Warrington was hardly a gastronomic pardise, the Chinese in Cairo St, (?) was our 'after drinking' spot, but other than that there was only the Hogie Wagon. I would imagine that things must have improved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 The hogie wagons gone, I think the owner (Ken as I recall) got fed up of the late night violence. The Chinesse on Ciro Street you'll be glad to hear is still there and amazingly, I think it still has the origional name of the Hoy Tin. I wonder if a Warburtons pie could be recreated if I managed to find the people who knew the recipe? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Well after watching the programme on tv exposing conditions in restaurant's in Britain (I forget what it was called) we never again ate in a restaurant in the UK. Rat infestations with rats on food, dribbling urine, nibblig at the food, cockroach infestations. Filthy and unhygenic kitchen conditions and practices. Waiters spitting on customer's food picking their noses and wiping the snot on the customers' food. Reserving leftovers from customer's plates to other customers. And you just don't want to know about the guy who peed into a jar of tomatoe sauce! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 The Hoy Tin. We dined there many times decades ago (long before we watched the program on tv). The three course meals served at lunch times were very good, and inexpensive. I adored a handsome young chinese waiter who would serve us. If I remember correctly he went by the english name of Paul. He was always bright and cheerful and chatty with us but, alas, he left to join the airforce. Could never resist calling into Warburton's on Orford Lane whenever I passed. The aroma just seemed to pull me inside for a couple of their meat & potato pies, which I would eat on the hoof and were oh so delicious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Cleo I think the food hygiene standards of all the restaurants and takeaways are monitored quite rigorously these days and each gets a score thing that has to be displayed on the premises. Anyone consistently failing gets usually ends up with a public slating which usually results in them having to close down. Back on the Warbies pies, I seriously considered putting an offer in to buy the business but I seem to remember that the price was far too high. It’s a shame really because their pies were pretty unique and with the right marketing, the business may have been able to be turned around. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 There was Arderns bakery as well which expanded to about five shops but now back to one on Willis street and the original family no longer run it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Still waiting to hear from Smithy about Marsh House Lane, usually takes a while - unless we're talking soccer. He's 74, almost blind from a hit and run and types with one finger, so I'm asking for a couple of hours of his time here, so I'll be patient. Being drunk can at times be very beneficial. It was on such an occasion in the Hoy Tin that I allowed myself to be cajoled into eating curry. Now my mouth waters at the thought. I did the usual Warrington trick of ordering beef, fries and mushrooms then covering the whole thing with a bowl of curry - east meets west !!!! Same process got me started on Mexican food thirty years ago, I guess I have to get loaded to expand my menu. One final pie story. Don't know if anyone used to go to the wrestling at the baths, but if you did you probably ate Joe Arrowsmith's meat pies. They were small and and the pastry was fairly thin with a ruffled adge, not the thick cocnrete cases of most pies. You could pop a whole one into your mouth and enjoy the succculent juice and chewy crust. Damn, I'm getting hungry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Time for a T-bone then Stall?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Read my mind Obs, already got two 2" thick, 20oz t-bones thawing out before marinading in Terryaki and pineapple juice. It's a nice 80 degrees out today, just right for throwing them onto the grill. Plus it's my birthday, so a couple (?) of candles stuck in them will make a perfect supper. Still would love a meat and potaoe pie though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 You are making me feel really hungry now and I'm starting to drool at the though of steak.. pies were bad enough... but steak and.. HAPPYBIRTHDAY STALLARD your nearly kept that one quiet as you don't show on the birthday list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Ooops, cat out of the bag !!!! Thanks Dizzy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 never mind Stallard.... you still have the typing fingers of a twenty year old!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 He keeps them in a jar on the shelf Oh and a belated happy birthday (must learn to read the post fully in future) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 never mind Stallard.... you still have the typing fingers of a twenty year old!! The 20 year old wants them back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingoDave Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I can confirm that the hygiene standards are rigorously checked in all Warrington eateries as my wife and her staff had to work back up to a decent award standard when we took over the pub with kitchen.We asked at the first assessment what was needed to get a perfect score as we wanted to work towards it, were told a couple of minor things only, completed them, then were "demoted" from five stars to two! Our main cook almost walked out in disgust. I can attest that those featured on the tv programmes are extremely rare these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.