Wigan Kebab (UK) on Sandwiches of History⁣

[@CarlB_1962]

Born and bred in Wigan, I can confirm that the Wigan kebab is indeed the perfect follow-up to a pint or two. So glad the HP sauce made an appearance!

[@notreyf]

Got to admit a Wigan kebab is good. But I'm from Bolton, can't help but prefer the pasty barm.

[@MartKencuda]

I guess because all that bread and pie crust soaks up the akcohol so it doesn't hit as hard and lasts longer.

[@wildwine6400]

Wiganer here, was very surprised to see you make a barm cake. They are much bigger. That pie was probably about the same dimensions. They are very fluffy and soft. A lot of those "bread rolls" are often crispy like a baguette, which is not right for a proper barm you'd stick a pie on. Meat and potato and minced beef are the 2 people usually use. Coincidently, the town next to Wigan - Bolton, has a "pasty barm" . Pasties are essentially a pie filling, in either puff or shortcrust pastry formed into a pocket shape. Meat and potato is the go to pasty. Though cheese and onion are popular too

[@AbPanormo]

“Boy howdy - that is a nap in sandwich form.” I would put that right up with the best culinary literature.

[@yourhighschoolenglishteach8405]

i don’t think anybody would begrudge you for using a local, handmade pie instead of using your own. good work.

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

I uttered a sigh of relief when you included HP in the plus ups. HP was our go to during college 'steak nite' since it would rescue the 'steak' they would give us once a month.

[@janebrennan4691]

Now that you have a bottle of HP sauce - if you didn’t before - we need more sandwiches with HP sauce! As a displaced Canadian, I have to pay a prime price for HP sauce at specialty grocers. This was my Granddad’s secret ingredient for the best tuna salad sandwiches! Did you know that A1 sauce was based on HP sauce? Love your videos ❤

[@1GrilledFoot]

Bisto Gravy, Malt Vinegar, and HP Sauce...you sure hit all the popular British condiments there! My family is from the south of England so have never had the pleasure of trying out this northern concoction.

[@Lolzapoluza]

Live in Liverpool, have enjoyed many a Wigan Kebab on nights out, some I can even recall. You outdid yourself making the barm, the W-Kebab is usually made with a cheap, bottom shelf, mass produced bun. Soaks up everything: meat juices, hopes, dreams etc. HP Sauce is never a bad idea. Very much best enjoyed after 12 pints.

[@kimmjohnston4744]

Ah yes, the Wigan Slappy

[@the8ctagon]

This is not what I was expecting to find on SoH tonight. As a Northerner (being born north of the Watford Gap), but not as a Wigan native, I must say: 1. Thank you for your dedication to sandwich lore. You are loved by sandwich munchers far and near (here). 2. Bisto rhymes with "piss-toe", not "peace-toe".

[@jaspertandy]

Never thought I'd live to see a pie barm on this channel. Fair play. Not even going to critique beesto vs biss-toe.

[@MichaelSmith-on8sh]

Lol I wasn’t going to post anything but as soon as he said Bisto my first thought, that’s not how they say it on Sorted

[@jic1]

Vowel shift, the 'short I' is more prevalent in British English, the 'long I' in American English. Examples: Vitamin, Privacy.

[@bernmahan1162]

I am a huge fan of the meat and potato pie, having been brought up in Manchester. If it can go between two slices of bread it is a sandwich. Well done for covering this one.

[@PaulMichael1084]

So I live about 20 mins away from Wigan. Never heard of one of these, but intend to go to the town and taste one. Will report back

[@andyfairchild2383]

I’m British and a southerner. I’d like to point out that it’s only up north that they put pies in buns. On reflection, I think that’s our loss!

[@burtbacarach5034]

Not much of a baker?????!I sire strongly disagree!The dedication you've shown to us is incredible.Time and again you've gone out of your way to source ingredients for sandwiches.Who else would bake their own bread(many,many times).And all to provide us,your audience with a dynamic sandwiching experience!Harumph harumph harumph!

[@boomshanka8743]

The dedication shown by this channel is amazing. Well played, sir!

[@TheBraulio7850]

Now I get why the UK slams pints before eating their food

[@Werefox32]

“Boy howdy, that is a nap in sandwich form.” 😂 I loved that

[@davlang3783]

Whittaker's potato and meat pie from Tyldesley on a barm with HP.

[@sonanderson6351]

Had one the other week

[@trollson66]

Another old ex-Wiganer here. These were just pies in a bap when I was growing up. The "kebab" name seems to have been added after my time. It was basically a practical way to hand eat a pie, with the bread catching any gravy spillage. Of course, you don't have gravy in a meat and potato pie - those were easy to eat already.

[@HenryJinxton]

So if I put a Marie Calendars pot pie on a bun with mashed peas can I tell people "it's a British sandwich!"? 😂

[@melissalambert7615]

No, too many veggies. It's a meat and potato only event.

[@HenryJinxton]

@@melissalambert7615 LOL

[@melissalambert7615]

I enjoy food shows from UK so I've heard of this one. As I recall it is best enjoyed watching a live football (soccer) game with a few pints. Also known as a Slappy. Not every roll in UK is a barm, this is specific to an area. I did call the HP plus up.

[@jic1]

I *live* in the UK and I've never heard of this, I suspect it's very regional.

[@ichi_san]

Very good cooking

[@RajinderKumar-lg4xz]

Wigan chip shop sandwich. 11/10❤ I’m from the black country of Uk. And we had chip shops . Staple was a scallop (potato battered) on a buttered bap. Some time with a fish cake also😂

[@Aquablecs]

Day 7 of asking Barry to make the sandwich I submitted! As someone from the U.S. I haven’t seen many of these ingredients before. Looks like something I’d like to have with a pint of Guinness. Maybe one day when I make it across the pond. Thanks Barry!!

[@ArrBee1]

Biss toe not bees toe Barry 🙉

[@garbodude4365]

I don’t know when this started, but my inner reading voice has started pronouncing ‘UK’ as ‘ook’ (like a noise an ape may make) and it’s brought me great joy

[@phronsiekeys]

That looks like the greatest sandwich in the history of humankind. For the Wigan native commenters--do you pick this up to eat it, or do you eat it with a knife and fork? I only ask because my English friends used to eat their hamburgers with a knife and fork. That custom has probably changed since I lived there 40+ years ago.

[@jic1]

That's long gone, as is eating pizza with a knife and fork (there are exceptions for especially messy burgers or pizzas, but that's true in America too).

[@phronsiekeys]

@@jic1 Oh too bad! Yet another vestige of civilization dumbed down by American "style" 🙂 I'm especially sorry about the pizza. I impressed a few of them no end back in 1992 when I picked mine up and folded it down the middle to eat. I've never seen an American eat pizza with a knife and fork though, no matter how unfolded and loaded with toppings it is. We'll pick all the stuff off the top with our impeccably clean hands and then pick up the slice to finish off.

[@deathbycocktail]

Stellar work! Check out the macaroni pie too, Scotland's lesser known culinary wonder!

[@richardhal]

Wow, HP sauce, Bisto, talk about blast from the past. Tinned minted peas were one of my pet hates when I was young. Congratulations to the UK for being able to come up with some of the unhealthiest food combinations

[@johanvanbeek7138]

Great review! Brown sauce (HP) version all the way.

[@GhostManBrandonDDpre]

I was a professional pie baker once upon a time and a meat pie with gravy is a lunch of beauty.

[@ryansheldonart6358]

@SortedFood barry they have a whole episode about this you should do a collaboration!

[@mattdavis8899]

Found your site a while back and glad I did your a good follow. If this was April 1 I wouldn't have been shocked. That's a weird arse "Sandwich"

[@SpookyHelder]

I mean, I don't think the buns needed to be bigger on account of the fact that outside the bread is more bread anyway

[@PhsykoOmen]

A good sandwich brings everyone together

[@giddyaunt9953]

Heard this called a few things, including the Slappy but never a Wigan Kebab, definitely a great combination, but I'd probably put it on a plate! Bisto sounds almost exotic when pronounced that way!

[@SandwichesofHistory]

I've learned of the smack barm pea wet which is a different sandwich?

[@andrewbrown2793]

Only a good baker recognizes their flaws. Buns looked wonky but the final product looks great. And heavy!

[@fookinavocado]

oh i LOVE mushy peas!!!

[@martinbobfrank]

I'm from the North of England (UK), but I've always had/made gravy from OXO cubes. I have had Bisto gravy, but only from cheaper places.

[@richard8396]

As a guy from England, I’ve never heard of this sandwich before. Only the individual components.

[@martinbobfrank]

I live close by WIgan but not in WIgan, and I seem to remember it was a slur on the Wigan coal miners during the pit strikes. Wigan claimed they would never give up the strike but had to eat Humble Pie, after a lengthy strike, by Maggie Thatcher. So, people from Wigan were said to eat pie. Hence, Pie Eaters.

[@davidevans817]

Outstanding. Great work sir.

[@frankmacleod2565]

interesting one

[@birdchurch9488]

I love that you have some HP Sauce on hand!

[@necrogenesis1981]

I was playing around with Chat GPT asking for a really weird sardine sandwich and it basically gave me a SpongeBob sandwich, feel free to use this abomination if you’re feeling brave and can somehow source the jellyfish lol 1 can of smoked sardines • 2 slices of sourdough bread • 2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter • 1 tablespoon of jellyfish (typically found in Asian markets, prepared and ready to eat) • A few sprigs of fresh mint • 1 teaspoon of sriracha sauce • 1 tablespoon of wasabi mayo The instructions say mash the sardines in a bowl, toast the bread, spread peanut butter on one slice, spread the wasabi mayo on the other slice, layer the sardines on top of the peanut butter slice, add the prepared jellyfish, top with sriracha and fresh mint and close it.

[@kimchiteagames]

I've been hoping you'd make this one just for the comedy.

[@rhorto01]

Wish I had a British pie baker around me! lol

[@trollson66]

No one warned me that they don't have meat or savory pies in the USA. I wouldn't have come over if I'd known!

[@sethwick8348]

@@trollson66 After going to England I too found it a huge problem with the US.

[@jic1]

@@trollson66 Never had a pot pie, then? Yes, there's less options than in the UK, but savory pies are fairly common. You'll also find pasties, but those are much more regional, mainly in parts of the Upper Midwest. Then there are also things like empanadas and knishes. And what is a Chicago-style pizza but a savory pie? 'Stuffed' ones even have a top crust.

[@trollson66]

@jic1 actually had one last night. More of a stew with a lid. Still looking for a pie that you can hold and eat. Or better still, put in a bread roll and eat as a sandwich.

[@jic1]

@@trollson66 Maybe Southern English meat pies are generally wetter than Northern English meat pies, but in my experience "a stew with a lid" describes most of the ones I've eaten.

[@joshuachapman4280]

Should have used s frozen pukka pie and cheap bap for true British chippy experience

[@DeborahMaufer]

The Brits do seem to love a carb fest! 🇬🇧

[@jic1]

Land of the chip butty (has Barry done that one?).

[@Lettuce-and-Tomatoes]

What is your day job. I don’t need to know where you work, I just want to know what you do when you’re not making sammiches. I looked up Julie’s website even though I live halfway across the country and will probably never go there. I’m impressed with what she’s doing. Apparently, she makes excellent Scotch eggs. Have you tried them?

[@SandwichesofHistory]

Not yet but I am going to for sure. As for my day job, I am a partner in a small marketing/business and now video production consulting firm. My big claim to fame is that I was part of the marketing team that took Netflix from a small DVD by mail start up to an international streaming brand.

[@Lettuce-and-Tomatoes]

@@SandwichesofHistoryThank you for the explanation! It sounds like you have one of those somewhat rare jobs I’ve heard about where people don’t feel like they’re working because they love what they do. You’ve got a great job and you live in a beautiful part of the country. You are blessed! Have a great day!!!!

[@johnmichaelcule8423]

Barm was foam taken off beer to leaven bread. A 'barm cake' was a bread roll made with barm. That's a terrible thing to do to an innocent meat-and-potato pie.

[@roaminaround377]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂❤ for a sandwich? You’ve got to be kidding. Too much work.

[@SandwichesofHistory]

To be fair, these are mostly consumed in chip shops. No one is dumb enough to make it from scratch at home...um, in the real world, that is. Lol

[@JazzBoat_]

Wondering if there's leftover mushy peas if you could make smack barm pea wet?

[@SandwichesofHistory]

Alas, the water absorbed into the peas. But it is on my radar to do now!

[@BnaBreaker]

Ohhhhh England...

[@Novotny72]

lmao. Love the commitment

[@thebitterfig9903]

That sure is one barm-y sandwich.

[@theofficialczex1708]

Pie sandwich? Now, I've seen it all...

[@1nliveontwitch]

this wigan kabab sounded wigtastic

[@mrsfruity76]

I hope you enjoyed your nap Barry😴🙂.

[@fredmackay7896]

Looks like a great drunken bite

[@EastSider48215]

Generally speaking, I love traditional British dishes. But I just don’t get the mushy-peas thing. What am I missing that makes these so appealing to so many people?

[@jic1]

For a long time, things like marrowfat peas and split peas were a staple in Britain. They didn't always have potatoes, and the climate isn't great for most beans. As for why 'mushy', see also mashed potatoes, creamed corn, grits and polenta, refried beans, and even mushy peas close cousin pease pudding (of nursery rhyme fame). I guess people just like sludgy starches.

[@EastSider48215]

@@jic1 : So the peas used for mushy peas aren’t green peas, but a different variety of pea?

[@jic1]

@@EastSider48215 They're what he showed in the video, basically what happens if you allow green peas to reach full maturity and dry out. Think of pea soup.

[@EastSider48215]

@@jic1: Now that sounds pretty darn good!

[@biggiemoishe]

Quick question about the term “plus up”: is that a San Jose thing? I’ve heard others say it before

[@SandwichesofHistory]

No, just something that came out of my mouth once and it stuck. I certainly did not invent it either.

[@DesertTigerTR]

It finally happened :D

[@saraschneider6781]

This is the most UK ish thing ever.😂

[@lukemclellan2141]

Ah.... Bisto

[@CashMoneyMerta]

What a sandwich!

[@joshuachapman4280]

This does not paint a good picture of British food culture but it does present an accurate one, unfortunately

[@deathbycocktail]

How very dare you! 🤣

[@jic1]

That's very regional, I've lived in the UK for well over 40 years, and this is the first I've heard of it. Having said that, you're not exactly wrong.

[@TheBraulio7850]

Day 12 is asking Barry to make the “torta ahogada”

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

This one is whimsically ridiculous

[@thekev506]

Swap the meat and potato pie out for a butter pie (also from that part of the world) and you have the mightiest hangover cure ever created. It's like a chip butty on steroids

[@DeborahMaufer]

I'm afraid to ask.... what is a butter pie? 🫣

[@thekev506]

@@DeborahMaufer it's a potato, onion and butter pie, and it is fantastic

[@DeborahMaufer]

@@thekev506 Sounds good, although not for calorie counters!

[@thekev506]

@@DeborahMaufer to be honest if you're calorie counting then British pies are a bad idea generally 🤣

[@DeborahMaufer]

@@thekev506 Very true - which is why it's not good that my fave British food since moving to London has become steak & ale pie! 😂

[@LlyodLlwelleyn]

Why would anyone put a pie between two pieces of bread?

[@DanC-q2u]

Your process for making this gave it far too much dignity. Just slap a pie in a bread roll. Open a tin of mushy peas and add gravy or HP sauce to taste

[@thebitterfig9903]

I’m American, but it seems to me that using a bought pie seems not just acceptable and appropriate, but probably the most authentic way.

[@DanC-q2u]

@@thebitterfig9903 honestly this all could (and probably should) be store bought. Granted this depends on having shops selling things like mushy peas. All the plus ups would work excellently.

[@user-cp9id1mj8b]

May I ask what you do for a living? My guess is teacher

[@SandwichesofHistory]

I am a partner in a small marketing/business and now video production consulting firm. My big claim to fame is that I was part of the marketing team that took Netflix from a small DVD by mail start up to an international streaming brand.

[@user-cp9id1mj8b]

@@SandwichesofHistory Wow, that's awesome!

[@niellahell]

bizarre

[@topperpop5493]

Very good but that’s not a Wigan kebab. It’s a pie barm.

[@SandwichesofHistory]

At this point I'm not sure what to say. The overwhelming comments from folks in and around Wigan have indicated this was a Wigan Kebab.

[@topperpop5493]

A Wigan kebab is three pies on a skewer, although it’s more of a joke than a real thing. It’s only recently that people have started (mistakenly) referring to a pie barm as Wigan kebab.

[@Jacksirrom]

THE PLUS UPS WERE DEVIANT AND DISTURBING

[@SandwichesofHistory]

HOW?

[@Jacksirrom]

@@SandwichesofHistory YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID BARRY

[@saraschneider6781]

1st!👋🏻❤🥪

[@dasjerkstore]

I can only assume Mr. Sandwich is forklift certified...or else

[@SandwichesofHistory]

lol alas, no