The Pie Warmer Intelligence Test

[edible_hat]

TruthHurts' post about hot dog machines reminded me of this one. I started posting it as a reply to that thread but it got too long.

At my work we have two of these:



It's a heated cabinet, containing various pies, pasties and sausage rolls. Customers help themselves (the pies we sell are in individual bags so there's no hygene problem). Also these kinds of setups are common in convenience stores around Australia, so most people should be familiar with them.

Two or three times a day people will stand in front of the pie warmer and ask "Do you have pies?" Once or twice a week one of these people will somehow ignore the instruction to "just turn to your left" and go wandering around the store, before asking the same question again. Very rarely they'll then get angry that I apparently "didn't answer the question the first time".

The second part of the intelligence test is this: The doors of the cabinet slide open so you can take out the pie you want. Occasionally people will ask how to open the cabinet. On being told the doors slide, they will try to push the non-sliding glass on the side, open the crumb tray in the bottom, lift up the top like it's a hinged lid or otherwise do something other than slide the door sideways. (in one case, nearly pushing the cabinet off the table)


Oh and one guy thought there was a robot arm that comes out of the floor and selects your pie for you if you shout loud enough. I hope he was on drugs.

[jerkface11]

What kind of pies are popular at gas stations in Austrailia?

[edible_hat]

Mostly plain beef pies, also chicken, and variations on beef (beef cheese and bacon, pepper steak, etc). They make a quick and convenient lunch.

We get them frozen in boxes of 24, and go through 9-12 boxes a week.

[tropicsgoddess]

Mostly plain beef pies, also chicken, and variations on beef (beef cheese and bacon, pepper steak, etc). They make a quick and convenient lunch.

Oooh and don't forget the taquitos (Thank you 7-11) !!!

[Evil Queen]

o.O Oh, Pot Pies.

I thought you carried fruit pies. I was gonna hop a plane for Aussie Land!

[edible_hat]

o.O Oh, Pot Pies.

I thought you carried fruit pies. I was gonna hop a plane for Aussie Land!

Well they're not actually in pots...

The Great Aussie Meat Pie usually contains beef and/or mutton, the really dodgy ones have "meat, may include pork" on the ingredients list but we don't carry those. Our most popular ones are choice steak (an actual steak cut into pieces, instead of the usual mince) and sausage rolls (sausage mince wrapped in pastry instead of a sausage skin).

You might occasionally find fruit pies in convenience stores, but they're a rarity. You're more likely to find donuts.

[Evil Queen]

Nah, silly. In the US they're called Pot Pies because they used to be made in the heavy ceramic bowls or Pots. These are usually Chicken Pot Pies or Beef Pot Pies. Turkey Pot Pies are a bit lacking, in my opinion. I wish you could get them in a convenience store but I've never seen them there.

The little single serving fruit pies are common though.

[marasbaras]

sausage mince wrapped in pastry instead of a sausage skin

Oh my ... sounds so good.

[Leopardmadcat]

Hmmmmm pot pie! I am sooooo hungry now!

First hotdogs, now potpies! Why do you torture me so!

[Sharsarannon]

Nah, silly. In the US they're called Pot Pies because they used to be made in the heavy ceramic bowls or Pots. These are usually Chicken Pot Pies or Beef Pot Pies. Turkey Pot Pies are a bit lacking, in my opinion. I wish you could get them in a convenience store but I've never seen them there.

The little single serving fruit pies are common though.

Don't Pot pies tend to be more like a stew inside a crust?
Meat pies in other countries seem to be the thing that a Hot Pocket is trying to imitate.

[crazylegs]

Don't Pot pies tend to be more like a stew inside a crust?

Thats a hot pot!

[DeltaSierra]

I wish our convenience stores had meat pies!! I adore a good chicken pot pie! The one near us does sell fantastic sausage rolls from time to time. I also am addicted to 7-11's monterey jack chicken taquitos - like tropicsgoddess said. They are a fantastic quick snack.

[Barefootgirl]

At least you don't sell Pie Floaters. i thought they were a joke, until my husband told me he'd eaten one in Adelaide. I still think they may be the most disgusting food concept ever (and that includes stuff you can only buy in markets in Mongolia and Vietnam, etc)

[edible_hat]

At least you don't sell Pie Floaters. i thought they were a joke, until my husband told me he'd eaten one in Adelaide.

Pie floaters have to be made fresh (well, fresh-ish). They're not gross at all unless you don't like pea soup and/or meat pies. They were invented because older style pie warmers used to dry out the crust really quickly, the soup soaks into the crust and makes it non-tooth-breaking. Pea soup is used because that's the soup served at the pie cart where the pie floater was invented.

[MyEccentricHell]

Mostly plain beef pies, also chicken, and variations on beef (beef cheese and bacon, pepper steak, etc). They make a quick and convenient lunch.

I used to be able to get those at the Price Club by me years ago. They're yummy & I miss them!