 A butter pie sold in Wigan | |
| Alternative names | Catholic pie, Friday pie, air pie, a special |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | England |
| Region or state | Lancashire |
| Main ingredients | Potatoes,onions,butter |
Abutter pie is a traditional English savourypie consisting mainly ofonions andpotatoes. It is also sometimes served on a savourybarm cake. The pie is stocked bychip shops,sandwich shops, localcorner shops and somesupermarkets within Lancashire. It is also known asCatholic pie,Friday pie,air pie or aspecial.
The pie is known to have been created for workers fromLancashire'sCatholic community, to consume on days (mainly Friday) whenmeat could not be eaten.[1][2]
From 2006, the butter pie was included in the annualWorld Pie Eating Championship in Wigan, in thevegetarian category.[3]
Butter pies were served on match days atDeepdale, the stadium ofPreston North End F.C. until 2007 when the providers, Ashworth Foods Ltd, ceased trading. With the new providers,Holland's Pies not offering a butter pie, two Preston North End fans started a campaign onFacebook calling for the return of butter pies to the matchday menu.[2][4] In 2010, the butter pie made a return to Preston North End's Deepdale stadium after the huge demand for the pie.[citation needed]
This dish is also mentioned in thePaul andLinda McCartney song "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey", which contains the lyrics, "I had another look and I had a cup of tea and butter pie".
The butter pie is served in most areas of thehistoric boundaries of Lancashire, includingBlackburn,Blackpool,Bolton,Burnley,Bury,Chorley,Lancaster,Preston,St Helens andWigan (whose residents are sometimes known by the nicknamepie-eaters).[5]
