If there’s one thing that unites Dundee, it’s a good pie. Whether it’s a mince round, a steak pie for a special occasion, or a creamy chicken delight, the city’s love for pastry-packed goodness is strong.
And no one knows this better than Gill Young, the force of a woman behind the hilltown’s The Shack Street Food – who can’t see past a creamy chicken pie.
Although the award-winning Shack focuses on delicious burgers and loaded fries, Gill has also been serving up pies with passion at her Isla Street food truck and in Dundee’s pubs before that.
For Gill, it’s all about keeping things simple and delicious. Her small pies – particularly her legendary creamy chicken pie – have been a favourite for many in Dundee for years.
Creamy chicken pehs
“Nobody wants to see an onion or a leek or a piece of ham in them,” she laughs. “They just want to see creamy sauce with lots of chicken.”
And she’s not joking about their popularity – one loyal customer spends a whopping £100 a week on her pies!
But Gill, a much-loved personality in the city, isn’t one for fancy flavours. “Nobody wants posh pies,” she insists. “For me, it’s a ‘council’ chicken pie, and it’s what they had when they were young.”
That nostalgia factor is key. Her chicken curry and onion pie is her personal favourite – “I do it just how I want it” – while her chilli cheese and jalapeño pies fly off the shelves.
Steak pies for special occasions
The pastry is just as important as the filling. “I make my small pies with shortcrust pastry and then puff pastry for the big ones,” she says.
“Pies are a big thing, particularly in Dundee. Steak pies are for occasions – Christmas, Sundays, or christenings – but wee pies? They’re for all the time.”
And Gill knows all about that, reminiscing about her childhood.
“Pie and Bovril l is what we lived on as kids. Going to the footy with my dad, getting a pie at halftime, then going as a casual – still having pehs!” she laughs.
Even when she took a break from pies during her raving days, the love never really faded.
Now, she finds pure joy in the pie-making process. “I absolutely love making pies. I can’t tell you how much I just love it – the fillings, putting the pastry on, seeing them rise.
Pies have to be packed
“And I pack them. I hate biting into a pie and there’s just a wee bit of filling.”
Her mince ‘n’ tattie pie is a particular triumph. “It costs £5, but customers say it’s worth every penny because it’s so packed.”
Excitingly, Gill’s expanding her pie empire. She plans to introduce pies to her “wee shack” – a separate food truck she currently uses for events serving jerk chicken.
“For Dundee, I’m going to have it next to my bigger shack and sell pies from it,” she says.
The idea of hearing people rave about her pies makes her beam, and she’s thinking of keeping small pies available during the day with larger ones available for order.
“Pies are just part of the community,” she says.
Her love for pies even extends to her daughter, whom she affectionately calls “Chicken Peh” after Gill’s favourite school meal as a girl.
“I ate it every day,” Gill recalls. Even later when working in a chicken factory, she stayed loyal to the dish. “Anytime I can get my hands on a chicken pie, I have it.
“That’s why I make them – because I couldn’t get them as much as I wanted.
“Everybody loves a chicken pie.”
Conversation