There’s nothing better than good old homemade traditional food when it’s cold outside. But if you don’t have the time to do it yourself, the yacht chef behind Coastal Crumbs has created the perfect winter warmer – posh pies.
“A few years ago when I was living in the UK, I started with banana bread – making loaves of the delicious stuff to supply to local cafes,” says Nicky. “The banana bread went down a storm, but a tiny London kitchen hampered its growth, so I decided to park that idea and make a move to the south of France. Last summer, whilst taking some time away from yachting, I discovered a distinct lack of good quality, affordable and easily accessible homemade food on the Côte d’Azur… Coastal Crumbs was waiting to be re-born and Antibes was the perfect place to do it.”
I’d tend to agree with her too. Sure, there are plenty of baguettes, salads and pizzas around, but when your belly really starts to rumble, it’s probably calling for something a little more substantial and that’s where Coastal Crumbs comes in.
From British favourites such as beef and Guinness to a Mediterranean-inspired vegetarian option, the range of pies marries locally sourced ingredients with comforting flavour, wholesome buttery pastry and a freshness you can’t beat. Nicky makes her pies fresh almost every day of the week meaning that there’s absolutely no soggy bottom here.
My personal favourite is the butternut squash, spinach and feta vegetarian pie. Harper Adams Agricultural College graduate Nicky roasts the butternut in Moroccan spices, onions and garlic, then tops with a layer of wilted spinach and (generous) sprinkling of feta. It’s a lighter and healthier alternative to some of the meatier pies, making it a popular choice for carnivores too.
That said, I couldn’t resist a nibble of my boyfriend’s chicken and tarragon combo: good-sized chunks of chicken, mushrooms, smoky bacon and tarragon make one pretty delicious pie.
Coastal Crumbs’ other pies include the steak and Guinness I mentioned before and the new steak and kidney addition. It’s not to my tastes, but it argues a strong case as the quintessential British pie and is Nicky’s current ‘Pie of the Month’. “A deliciously rich and moreish pie made with beef shin slowly cooked to perfection with beef kidney, mushrooms, smoky bacon, a spot of vin rouge and a few herbs and spices to create a scrummy pie.”
One factor that also puts Coastal Crumbs above the local options is the accessibility. Whether delivering to your front door or passerelle, the Coastal Crumbs bike with its signature blue bird is always making the rounds, particularly in Antibes’ Port Vauban and along the international quay.
If you’re further afield, Nicky also makes regular drops in Monaco – a handful of pubs and bars are already serving up her pies, and she’s got more than a few fans in the Principality’s business offices. Coastal Crumbs’ range is also available at the famous English sausage shop So-Sij in Antibes throughout the week.
The pies cost 5€ each and can be eat fresh from the oven or frozen for a night later in the week. Although they never seem to hang around that long in my house…
For more information on Coastal Crumbs, click here or visit the Facebook page here.
