Why the Chilli & Cheese pie has its own regulars

Some pies are a quiet favourite. The chilli and cheese at our Cessnock shop is not one of those pies. It has regulars. It has a following. It has people who will text ahead on a Saturday to ask how many we've got left.

What's in it is not complicated. Beef chuck, slow-cooked with onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, a proper amount of chilli. Reduced until it's thick, not saucy. Topped with grated cheddar that goes molten in the last five minutes of the bake. Encased in house shortcrust — never foil.

The reason it works is the reason any good pie works: we bake it the day you buy it. There's no freezer holding pattern. There's no central kitchen three hours away. It's made in the same room where you order it, by people who eat them for lunch.

Drop in to 138 Wollombi Rd, Cessnock any day of the week and there's usually a warm tray of chilli and cheese on the shelf. If you want one held, ring ahead. If you want a dozen for a party, give us a day's notice.