As part of our ongoing commitment to bring people in our communities together, we recently provided £3,629 of funding for a Men’s Pie Club in Chester-le-Street. We popped along to find out how things were going, meet the people taking part and make a pie of our own.
We got a warm welcome as we arrived at the Men’s Pie Club at REfUSE Café in Chester-le-Street. REfUSE Volunteering Manager Lee Bailey and the group of Ken, Scott, Grant and Keith greeted us with big smiles and told us to grab an apron and get stuck in with the pie making.
Normally in this situation we’d be slightly hesitant. While we’re experts at eating pies, our pie making skills leave a lot to be desired. However, there was an instant camaraderie from the group that made us feel relaxed and happy to get involved. We grabbed some flour and butter and started making some pastry.
That camaraderie is something that Lee is proud of: “We thought we’d have a long journey to get where we are now. Everyone came together in such a short space of time.
“Men’s Pie Club has been running in the North East since 2018. Pie Club was started on the recognition that as men get older they become more introverted. There’s a high rate of suicide amongst men because they weren’t communicating with other people in the same way a lot of women do.
“The club is about making a space for men to feel comfortable with each other. There’s a lot of men who come here who wouldn’t see anyone outside of their immediate family who they can’t always be open or be themselves with. People make that connection here, everyone is concentrating on the pies, but at the same time they’re laughing and joking so the pie is just a byproduct.”
Grant moved to the area 18 months ago. He started coming to the club to meet people: “As someone who’s not from the area, this is great. I met a few people from work but this offers something different. I think it’s important that men can have their own space. There’s lots of clubs men can join but this is unique. The atmosphere is great – everyone helps each other and we’re all on the same page.”
Ken agrees: “We all just have a laugh and take the mick out of each other. It’s friendly and you can just talk openly with each other.”
Today we’re making an apple and rhubarb pie. The rhubarb, which smells divine as it’s been cooked, was provided by Ken from his garden. Other ingredients were sourced by rescuing them from ‘waste’ that local shops, cafes, markets, restaurants, allotments, wholesalers and more either do not use or possible throw away,
“We don’t see this food as waste,” said Lee. “We see beautiful and valuable food that we can use for groups like this, as part of the meals we serve in the café and for the fruit and veg boxes people can collect from the café.”
The group has been running for six weeks. Everyone seems very much at ease and happy to crack on and make the pies. When our pastry rolling went awry, everyone gathered round to help, although they made sure to take the mick as well.
As we add the filling to the pastry and then set them off to bake, we asked Lee about the impact of the club in the area:
“We’re so happy we’ve been able to host a club here. They’ve wanted to do one for a while, but we had to find a way to make it to align with REfUSE’s values and ensure it was self-sustainable. The funding from Karbon was invaluable. We used that to kickstart the club and then generate an interest and an income for the café. The lads for the pie club will come in before and have a cuppa or grab some lunch with their families afterwards, so it helps to raise our profile which has a positive knock on effect for us.”
The finished pies look and smell beautiful. There’s a few that are slightly well done, but everyone agrees that it doesn’t matter. It’s more about having a good time and learning as we go.
Scott said “It’s all trial and error. In our first session we didn’t want to overdo it with the fillings but then we realised that it left the pie with a lot of air in it. Now we make little peaks with the filling and it works perfectly.”
When asked about their favourite pie so far there was a wave of responses, although one in particular stood out:
Keith said: “Gary’s corned beef and onion pies are beautiful. One of the best fillings I’ve ever tasted.”
Lee concurred: “Gary is one of our volunteers who regularly runs the club. He’s an enthusiastic home chef and his corned beef and onion pies are quite renowned.
“Running the pie club has been great for him. It’s given him a lot of confidence knowing that he can help others with his skills and brings a lot of happiness.”
We head off with a warm goodbye and a warm pie, instantly feeling the benefits of the club. Not only has it been great to learn how to make a pie, but it’s been fantastic to spend a few hours just having a chat and a laugh with a great bunch of guys.
The Men’s Pie Club at REfUSE Café takes place on Fridays from 10am – 12pm.
If you’d like to experience Men’s Pie Club for yourself, or know someone who could benefit, head over to their website and find out where your nearest club will be taking place.
You can also find out more about the great work REfUSE Café are doing on their website. Or you can pop along in person and enjoy a cuppa and some cake by visiting them at 143c Front Street, Chester le Street, Durham, DH3 3AU.
If you’re a not-for-profit or voluntary organisation, our Community Connectors can help you access our Community Investment Fund. Find out more using the link below.
Find out more about Community Funding
As part of our ongoing commitment to bring people in our communities together, we recently provided £3,629 of funding for a Men’s Pie Club in Chester-le-Street. We popped along to find out how things were going, meet the people taking part and make a pie of our own.
We got a warm welcome as we arrived at the Men’s Pie Club at REfUSE Café in Chester-le-Street. REfUSE Volunteering Manager Lee Bailey and the group of Ken, Scott, Grant and Keith greeted us with big smiles and told us to grab an apron and get stuck in with the pie making.
Normally in this situation we’d be slightly hesitant. While we’re experts at eating pies, our pie making skills leave a lot to be desired. However, there was an instant camaraderie from the group that made us feel relaxed and happy to get involved. We grabbed some flour and butter and started making some pastry.
That camaraderie is something that Lee is proud of: “We thought we’d have a long journey to get where we are now. Everyone came together in such a short space of time.
“Men’s Pie Club has been running in the North East since 2018. Pie Club was started on the recognition that as men get older they become more introverted. There’s a high rate of suicide amongst men because they weren’t communicating with other people in the same way a lot of women do.
“The club is about making a space for men to feel comfortable with each other. There’s a lot of men who come here who wouldn’t see anyone outside of their immediate family who they can’t always be open or be themselves with. People make that connection here, everyone is concentrating on the pies, but at the same time they’re laughing and joking so the pie is just a byproduct.”
Grant moved to the area 18 months ago. He started coming to the club to meet people: “As someone who’s not from the area, this is great. I met a few people from work but this offers something different. I think it’s important that men can have their own space. There’s lots of clubs men can join but this is unique. The atmosphere is great – everyone helps each other and we’re all on the same page.”
Ken agrees: “We all just have a laugh and take the mick out of each other. It’s friendly and you can just talk openly with each other.”
Today we’re making an apple and rhubarb pie. The rhubarb, which smells divine as it’s been cooked, was provided by Ken from his garden. Other ingredients were sourced by rescuing them from ‘waste’ that local shops, cafes, markets, restaurants, allotments, wholesalers and more either do not use or possible throw away,
“We don’t see this food as waste,” said Lee. “We see beautiful and valuable food that we can use for groups like this, as part of the meals we serve in the café and for the fruit and veg boxes people can collect from the café.”
The group has been running for six weeks. Everyone seems very much at ease and happy to crack on and make the pies. When our pastry rolling went awry, everyone gathered round to help, although they made sure to take the mick as well.
As we add the filling to the pastry and then set them off to bake, we asked Lee about the impact of the club in the area:
“We’re so happy we’ve been able to host a club here. They’ve wanted to do one for a while, but we had to find a way to make it to align with REfUSE’s values and ensure it was self-sustainable. The funding from Karbon was invaluable. We used that to kickstart the club and then generate an interest and an income for the café. The lads for the pie club will come in before and have a cuppa or grab some lunch with their families afterwards, so it helps to raise our profile which has a positive knock on effect for us.”
The finished pies look and smell beautiful. There’s a few that are slightly well done, but everyone agrees that it doesn’t matter. It’s more about having a good time and learning as we go.
Scott said “It’s all trial and error. In our first session we didn’t want to overdo it with the fillings but then we realised that it left the pie with a lot of air in it. Now we make little peaks with the filling and it works perfectly.”
When asked about their favourite pie so far there was a wave of responses, although one in particular stood out:
Keith said: “Gary’s corned beef and onion pies are beautiful. One of the best fillings I’ve ever tasted.”
Lee concurred: “Gary is one of our volunteers who regularly runs the club. He’s an enthusiastic home chef and his corned beef and onion pies are quite renowned.
“Running the pie club has been great for him. It’s given him a lot of confidence knowing that he can help others with his skills and brings a lot of happiness.”
We head off with a warm goodbye and a warm pie, instantly feeling the benefits of the club. Not only has it been great to learn how to make a pie, but it’s been fantastic to spend a few hours just having a chat and a laugh with a great bunch of guys.
The Men’s Pie Club at REfUSE Café takes place on Fridays from 10am – 12pm.
If you’d like to experience Men’s Pie Club for yourself, or know someone who could benefit, head over to their website and find out where your nearest club will be taking place.
You can also find out more about the great work REfUSE Café are doing on their website. Or you can pop along in person and enjoy a cuppa and some cake by visiting them at 143c Front Street, Chester le Street, Durham, DH3 3AU.
If you’re a not-for-profit or voluntary organisation, our Community Connectors can help you access our Community Investment Fund. Find out more using the link below.
Find out more about Community Funding
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