Much of my experiences with British breakfasts derive from when I spent about 2 months researching British archives for my undergrad thesis. At a time when the British pound hovered between $1.80 and $2.05, I devoted most of my research funds towards photocopies and saved money by staying at YHA hostels and eating cheaply. While the YHA hostels weren’t perfect–my memory of the Cambridge YHA was one of incredible BO in the showers and for several nights, sharing a room with a drunk who ranted about the moral bankruptcy of Blairism–they were a terrific value. Each morning was a massive full English breakfast–toast, eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, and baked beans–as well as museli and yogurt, all of which was filling enough to enable me to skip lunch and walk 45 minutes to the Churchill College Archives. The novelty and gastronomic cosplay of the full English had worn thin by the second week, but I stuck it out for the full seven weeks because of the money I could save each day by skipping lunch and not taking the bus.
I bring this up because of back in mid-March, due to COVID-19, many localities are under lockdown and directives to engage in social distancing. Yet The Pig and Pastry in York, which has gained widespread plaudits such as being among the Guardian’s 50 Best Breakfast Places in the UK, was celebrating its sense of community with photos that showed patrons happily dining in the shop rather than practicing social distancing. This was disappointing from a shop that I enjoyed so much that I visited it twice in as many days during my time in York, and prompted some overwrought outrage on my part on social media–heavily caveated with how much I liked The Pig and Pastry when I visited two years back–and then a cordial exchange of emails between the owner/chef Steve Holding and myself concerning how to balance a restaurant’s role in the community, its role as a business, and public health measures.
Shortly afterwards, bars and restaurants were shut down in the UK, and The Pig and Pastry began clearing out its pantry to provide free meals to those in need. It reminded me of the wonderful memories I had of their food, as well as the warm atmosphere inside. As I’ve held off writing reviews for a few weeks due to COVID-19, I thought The Pig and Pastry was a great way to restart the process as well as give thanks to a shop that is doing its best to help its community during this difficult time.
The Pig and Pastry has a predominantly breakfast/brunch menu built around bread, eggs, and mushrooms. Other than the inclusion of mushrooms, that’s a pretty formulaic breakfast playbook, and as I’ve mentioned before, I think most breakfast/brunch places are boring. But the two dishes I had–the Mumbai Eggs (headline picture) and the Eggs n’ Funghi with Bacon (below)–illustrate the ways in which P&P elevates its food and why I like it so much.
First, the restaurants uses terrific fundamental ingredients: this is most evident in its extensive use of meaty portobello mushrooms and crusty rustic sourdough bread in its dishes. Second, it tweaks its dishes by pairing them with sides or sauces that differentiate themselves slightly from standard breakfast fare, just enough to make it feel a little special. Harissa sauce, various chutneys, and avocado populate the menu. In the case of the Eggs n’ Funghi I ordered, that meant putting a dollop of pesto into the cap of the portobello, creating a nutty contrast with the hollandaise of an otherwise typical eggs benedict. The Mumbai Eggs were a chalkboard special that day, essentially a shakashouka with portobello, a swatch of curry notes, and some corriander chutney. Shakashouka is not particularly hard to make, but it rarely features on brunch menus and the additional tweaks P&P makes are a nice touch. It’s testament how much of a difference good ingredients and a touch of creativity can make.
Unfortunately, I didn’t give equivalent attention to the pastry portion of P&P’s name. However, the hot cross buns and almond croissants did catch my eye as I went out the door, and had I had more room or some foresight to grab a few for my train ride to Sheffield, I would’ve grabbed a few. It’s hard to explain why I didn’t, especially since I was such an enthusiastic recorder player in my youth.
I also want to point out the warm neighborhood atmosphere within The Pig and Pastry, which combined with the smells and my jetlag after a sleepless redeye flight into Manchester, could’ve easily coaxed me into sleep right there on the counter. Steve Holding’s efforts to build a better community and quirky humor are evident within the shop; there’s no way I can dislike any shop that pays homage to Salt n’ Pepa. So in conclusion: come for the food, the warm atmosphere, and the quirky humor; no need to worry about ranting drunks or hostel full English breakfasts here.
Rating: Highly Recommended
Items of Note: Anything involving eggs, mushrooms, and crusty sourdough
The Pig and Pastry
35 Bishopthorpe Road
York YO23 1NA
United Kingdom
A quick note about York: I came to York on the advice of friends who have visited and because I had an extra day before my conference started. The standard points of interest–the York Minster (Cathedral), the Shambles (old commercial quarter), the York city walls–are all worth a visit. But two musical memories stick most with me: sitting in the York Minster and listening to the University of York Choir’s rehearsal of Mozart’s Lacrymosa; a busking band in the square performing a rollicking rendition of The Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer in which the accordion was the featured player. York’s not a huge town, so anything more than a 2 days/1 night is probably not necessary, but it’s well worth a visit.
