Fredericton Pastry Stand Has Mouthwatering Meat Pies, Butter Tarts And ‘Scotch Eggs’
FREDERICTON— Tim Chisholm has been cooking all his life. Retiring to New Brunswick didn’t make him stop.
Chisholm owns Wooly Pigs Pies and Pastry, a stand at the Northside Creators Market that specializes in traditional British fare. When he moved to Fredericton, his kids told him that he should start selling his pies at the local market.
He learned to make these pies from a chef at a British pub, one part of his 40 years of cooking experience.
“You make [the pies] more and more and you get pretty darn good at it,” said Chisholm. “And I just never forgot it.”
Wooly’s Scotch Pies are a recent hit. They are selling so well that Chisholm is taking orders for pickup at the next market. Baked in a springform pan, they are covered with a layer of pastry.
“Inside is 100 percent pure pork,” said Chisholm.
Scotch Eggs are another English dish Chisholm sells, usually served with chutney or an onion-type jam. To make it, Chisholm wraps boiled eggs in pork, breads them and cooks them in the deep fryer. He then finishes them off in the oven.
“They’re not greasy at all, they are so good,” said Chisholm. “Then when you cut them in half you have a beautiful layer.”
Chisholm also makes his own chutney and is thinking about adding it to his stand come fall. He is waiting until the ingredients he needs are in season. Chisholm thinks it’s important to cook with fresh goods and uses seasonings from his own herb garden in his cooking.
“You try to keep it as homegrown as you can,” said Chisholm. “You use all local meat and once the produce starts here then it’s all local produce too.”
Last year when the pandemic hit, he got the go-ahead to deliver.
“So I haven’t stopped yet,” said Chisholm. “I haven’t had a vacation since the whole Covid thing started.”
But don’t worry, Chisholm said that it is worth it. He knows that comfort food is needed right now, and some people haven’t had food like his since their childhood.
Chisholm said, “They go, ‘Oh my God, I haven’t had butter tart like that since my grandma made them.’”
The recipe for his own buttered tarts comes from his grandmother. He is happy to sell these and more at his market stand.
“I think I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing,” said Chisholm. “It’s at a spot where I’m very comfortable and I don’t have to get any bigger.”
Chisholm isn’t looking to open up a store or start a franchise. He is content spending Saturdays and Sundays alongside his wife at their stand in the market.
“As long as people are enjoying what I’m making and I’m selling what I’m making, then we’ll just keep on going and plugging away.”
Rachel Smith is a summer intern for Huddle. Send her story suggestions: [email protected].