Tags
beef, beer, mrs cranston's pies, old waverley hotel, pie, pint, restaurant, venison
Last Wednesday I headed along to the launch of Mrs Cranston’s pies at the Old Waverley Hotel. Or should that be re-launch? Apparently centuries ago when the hotel first popped up on Princes Street, Mrs Cranston, wife of the hotel’s owner, used to slave away in the kitchen for hours on a Friday just so she could meet demand for her delicious pies on a busy Saturday.
Mrs Cranston’s pies are back, and I must say I felt like I tasted a little bit of Edinburgh history. Made to the original recipe, the first thing that hits you is the tempting aroma of freshly-cooked, warm pastry.
Keeping it simple, there are two fillings on offer – venison or beef. Both were cooked to perfection and I felt the inexplicable urge to eat even more pie than my belly could handle, which can only be a good sign. The meat was tender and pastry crumbly – a pie well done.
Now you can sample a pie and a pint in the cosy Abbotsford Lounge at The Old Waverley for £6.95 – a good option for recharging your batteries after hitting the shops, or a nice place to entertain guests with lovely views of Princes Street gardens.
While the pies are tasty, the accompanying drink choices don’t give me much to shout about. Edinburgh Gold from Stewart Brewing is the best out of a mediocre bunch – at least offering up something from an Edinburgh-based brewery.
The best bit of the evening was that they managed to conjure up the friendly spirit of Mrs Cranston to come and say hello…