So my time in Leeds is coming to an end, I’ve about 4 weeks left up North as the Lady and I are relocating to London town. There’s a lot I’ll miss, but near the top of the list is definitely the food.With limited time left we’ve decided to try and make the most of it and had a bit of a wander out to Otley to pick up some provisions for the coming weeks.
Otley was one of the first places I visited when I got to Yorkshire and it helped break me into the way of life in the Dales. It holds good memories for me; the pub I moved up North to work at is not far from here.
I can remember the first time I drove through town wondering what the hell I’d got myself into; it was snowy, freezing cold and unbelievably bleak. Its charms soon wore me down as I fell in love with the pubs serving beer better than I’d ever tasted before and it’s great butchers as well.
Don’t get me wrong there’s plenty of bad memories as well, I’d need to take my socks off to help me count the number of times I’ve almost been beaten up in glamorous places like Korks for chatting up the wrong girl or for just being Southern… well maybe for being cocky as well.
Otley has 2 of my long time favourite butchers. Both are fantastic but for different things. Weegmans for me is the best place to get Pork Pies in the whole of Yorkshire, served warm literally straight from the oven being produced in the shop they are fantastic.
Sweet, salty and sexy I’d easily choose the Pork Pie as my desert island food. It’s all good though, you can get ridiculously great hot roast pork sandwiches, crackling, savoury ducks and scotch eggs as well.
On the other side of the square we have what a lot would consider some heavy weight competition in the form of Geo Middlemiss. This is where I’d like to get my meat from forever really. It is the picture perfect butchers shop.
I picked up some Tomato sausages, some great looking Middle Bacon and Duck Eggs as well. We had friends over for the weekend, so a Sunday fry-up was definitely in order.
The texture and flavour of these sausages is fantastic, deeply meaty and savoury perfect for breakfast and helping to bring you back to life after a long night drinking Champagne and playing monopoly… It’s just how we roll.
Otley is definitely a great little place to get your food shopping done and will be sorely missed. Having these 2 great butchers next to each other is so lucky and the little market isn't too bad either for some great fresh veg. If worst comes to worst you can always pop to Waitrose as well.
At least there are some butchers there. Butchers ae disappearing faster than pubs, and that's a poor, poor state of affairs. I can vouch for Weegman's Pork Pies, too - wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteYou're spot on about Weegman's pork pies. I've tried pork pies from all over Yorkshire and, for me, theirs has been the best yet.
ReplyDeleteI rarely visit Otley but always make time to swing by Weegman's, and have discovered that the timing of the traffic lights outside their shop allows enough time on red to hop out of the car, stroll into the shop, grab a pie (or two) and be back in the car and belted-up before they're on green. A sign from the Gods!
Lester, I like your style. I will have to try this park and dash approach to getting my pie fix!
ReplyDeletePark and dash or pork and dash? :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post about my home town, although I may be prepared to argue the case for a Middlemiss pie over Weego's... It's a close call though.
Otley is truly lucky to have such amazing local food shops. These butchers are both brilliant and Bondgate Bakery is a gem too. We should have more towns with shops like these.
Shame I have just discovered your blog as you are leaving Leeds! Good luck.
Cheers Donk! It is close I know what you mean, I love Bondgate Bakery as well, it's been a while since I've bought bread from them but they used to do a fantastic tomato loaf that was amazing warmed with just some salted butter melting slowly into it...
ReplyDeleteHaving spent 3hrs a week at Middlemiss for 8 weeks last year as work experience Loyalty compels me to say they are far better in any aspect of butchery. However I will admit that weegmans Cornish pasties are the best though.
ReplyDeletemiddlemiss are so unhygenic
ReplyDelete