From an English-style pub in Exeter to a pandemic-born pie bar in Goffstown — and a century-old classic across the border — comfort food is having a moment.Fat Hen Brewing in ExeterAt Fat Hen Brewing in Exeter, co-owner Steven Helferich says the town’s old-world feel inspired a true English pub and a menu to match. Alongside award-winning English ales, Fat Hen’s signature is now pot pies, pressed in tins with gear imported from England. “We love doing kind of fusion ideas, rotating new recipes in and using the pie as a platform that we can experiment with and play with,” Helferich said, pointing to rotating options like tikka masala. For Helferich, it’s personal.“Pot pies were part of my childhood. I feel like they are making a huge comeback and we’re definitely part of that.” The Pot Pie Bar in GoffstownIn Goffstown, The Pot Pie Bar grew out of a 2020 pivot. “When COVID happened, we were shut down and we were not allowed to cater,” founder and executive chef Caroline Arend recalled.They turned to prepared meals for first responders and demand surprised them. “Believe it or not, everybody wanted pies. They wanted chicken pot pie,” Arend said. “One day my chef AJ said, ‘We’ve gone through almost 400 pounds of chicken for pot pies.’” Chef AJ Orf admits he never expected to be mass-producing pot pies. Now, the shop sells around 100 a day and often sells out, with flavors like bacon mac and cheese, classic chicken, and braised beef — each marked with a distinctive cutout on top. “People find it comforting,” Arend said. “A lot of people grew up eating pies.”Thwaites Market in Methuen, Mass.Over the border in Methuen, Massachusetts, Thwaites Market has been baking tradition into every bite for generations. “We’ve been around for 100 years. Simply because of the pork pie,” said Abbey Hoffman. “It’s just ground pork, salt and pepper in a very thin gravy that goes into it.” Hoffman, whose great-grandmother opened the shop in the early 1900s, says the recipe hasn’t changed, and some pie tins date to the 1970s. Hoffman recently added a food truck to reach more people. “It’s traditional, authentic English food that you’re getting when you take a bite out of these pies,” she said, adding that even visitors from the U.K. tell them their pies rival the ones at home.–Back in Exeter, Helferich says the revival is real. “We’ve noticed in the last year a lot of restaurants in the Seacoast region have had chicken pot pie specials or pot pies show up on the menu when you didn’t see them before. It’s exciting.”
From an English-style pub in Exeter to a pandemic-born pie bar in Goffstown — and a century-old classic across the border — comfort food is having a moment.
Fat Hen Brewing in Exeter
At Fat Hen Brewing in Exeter, co-owner Steven Helferich says the town’s old-world feel inspired a true English pub and a menu to match. Alongside award-winning English ales, Fat Hen’s signature is now pot pies, pressed in tins with gear imported from England.
“We love doing kind of fusion ideas, rotating new recipes in and using the pie as a platform that we can experiment with and play with,” Helferich said, pointing to rotating options like tikka masala.
For Helferich, it’s personal.
“Pot pies were part of my childhood. I feel like they are making a huge comeback and we’re definitely part of that.”
The Pot Pie Bar in Goffstown
In Goffstown, The Pot Pie Bar grew out of a 2020 pivot.
“When COVID happened, we were shut down and we were not allowed to cater,” founder and executive chef Caroline Arend recalled.
They turned to prepared meals for first responders and demand surprised them.
“Believe it or not, everybody wanted pies. They wanted chicken pot pie,” Arend said. “One day my chef AJ said, ‘We’ve gone through almost 400 pounds of chicken for pot pies.’”
Chef AJ Orf admits he never expected to be mass-producing pot pies. Now, the shop sells around 100 a day and often sells out, with flavors like bacon mac and cheese, classic chicken, and braised beef — each marked with a distinctive cutout on top.
“People find it comforting,” Arend said. “A lot of people grew up eating pies.”
Thwaites Market in Methuen, Mass.
Over the border in Methuen, Massachusetts, Thwaites Market has been baking tradition into every bite for generations.
“We’ve been around for 100 years. Simply because of the pork pie,” said Abbey Hoffman. “It’s just ground pork, salt and pepper in a very thin gravy that goes into it.”
Hoffman, whose great-grandmother opened the shop in the early 1900s, says the recipe hasn’t changed, and some pie tins date to the 1970s.
Hoffman recently added a food truck to reach more people.
“It’s traditional, authentic English food that you’re getting when you take a bite out of these pies,” she said, adding that even visitors from the U.K. tell them their pies rival the ones at home.
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Back in Exeter, Helferich says the revival is real.
“We’ve noticed in the last year a lot of restaurants in the Seacoast region have had chicken pot pie specials or pot pies show up on the menu when you didn’t see them before. It’s exciting.”
