As it’s National Pie Week, this seems an appropriate time to mention MacGregors Pie and Ale Howff, a new bar which has just opened on Glasgow’s Blackfriars Street.
As well as an impressive array of pastry-based products, it promises Scottish real ales, craft beers, lots of live sport and a darts board for those who fancy themselves as handy with the old arrows.
Proper, old school pub
The 5pm Dining blog is tickled with the idea of a new venture whose unique selling point is that it has all the features of a proper, old school pub.
So far, ping pong tables, retro arcade games, arcane cocktail lists and the other gimmicks employed by many new bars are all notable by their absence at MacGregors Pie and Ale Howff.
In some ways, the new bar demonstrates how often trends in the bar trade go in cycles. On nearby Candleriggs, there used to be a pub called Granny Black’s. First opened in 1820, it was known as Glasgow’s first hot food take-away.
Its most famous product was a range of pies.
Range of pies
The range of pies available at MacGregors includes steak and ale, Thai chicken curry, mac ‘n’ cheese, haggis, big breakfast, shepherd’s and the eye-catching venison and Irn Bru combo.
The bar’s commitment to Scottish brewers is impressive. Alechemy, Harviestoun, Top Out Brewery, Drygate, Tempest, Williams Bros, Isle of Skye Brewing and Fyne Ales are just some of the companies whose products are on sale behind the bar.
Michele Pagliocca is one of the team behind MacGregors. A prominent figure in Glasgow’s bars, clubs and restaurants for decades, Michele also has The Butterfly and the Pig.