Bless was launched in 1995, after German designers Desiree Heiss, 27, and Ines Kaag, 28, met at a fashion competition in Paris and found that they shared fashion interests. The `legs’ become the shoulder tie, see.” Unfortunately I do. And this is the main problem with Bless products, they can only be fully understood through lengthy explanation. Or a pair of trousers that becomes a bag.” The press officer for the fashion label Bless is trying to explain Bless No 04 to me, and she’s doing OK, so far “The waistband is also the bag opening When using it as a bag the opening is a zip When using it as a trouser there are press-studs. Traditionally, the pie is most enjoyed when generously doused with malt vinegar Sarson’s, naturally. Basically it’s a bag that becomes a pair of trousers. Puncture the surface of the pastry in two or three places with a small knife and put back into the oven.

Bake for a final 30 minutes until the pastry looks a little puffed up and has taken on a little colour Eat with pickled red cabbage and ketchup. Drape the pastry over the stewed meat, tuck the edges down the sides of the pot – as neatly as you see fit – and press against the sides of the pot. Roll out the pastry into a circle slightly larger than the top of the pot. You don’t want the dough to be too thin: this is a proper pie-crust, remember, not a fiddly bit of filo nonsense.Once the meat and ‘taties are ready, take from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes or so. Continue to cook for another 40 minutes or so, or until the potatoes are tender.

Leave to rest in the fridge until ready to use.Remove the pot of meat and onions from the oven and stir in the potatoes Turn the temperature up to 350F/180C/gas mark 4. Incorporate enough cold water to bind the mixture so that it comes together in a stiff mass; don’t let it become too sticky. If so, replace the cover, turn the temperature down to 300F/150C/gas mark 2, and continue to cook for another hour.Meanwhile, make the pastry. Blend the fat, flour and salt together in a bowl with your hands until crumbly. Jugged hare and wild rabbit (in those days, there was only wild rabbit to be had on Bury market) also muttered away in the very same pot down there from time to time.Assuming that you may not be able to find the correct pot for your pie, any deep-sided casserole dish will, of course, be just fine.250g onions, peeled and chopped500g stewing beef, cut into small piecessalt and pepperwater1kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunksfor the pastry125g lard or, even better, beef dripping200g self-raising flourgood pinch of saltcold waterPre-heat the oven to 400F/200C/gas mark 6 Put the meat and onions into your chosen pot Add enough water to cover the meat by at least 5cm Add a generous seasoning of salt and pepper and stir in Cover with a lid, or foil, and cook for 20 minutes Lift off the cover and check that all is simmering nicely.

Its shape was decidedly deep with slanted sides, dark brown on the outside and a sort of creamy colour within. It was fashioned from glazed earthenware, which also allowed all the ingredients within to stew gently, in the bottom oven of our ancient, solid-fuel Aga. I think the one she had belonged to her mother (nicely crazed and burnished but not a chip in sight) and was possibly her mother’s before that. Eat with pleasure.Note: the flavour of parsley in an Irish stew is much more important an ingredient than you might think.Mrs Hopkinson’s meat and ‘tatie pie, serves 4In a proper ironmongers – you know, the sort that always smells of paraffin and sells kitchen knives and very small tents – it may still be possible to find a similar type of pot thatMum used for making her ‘tatie pie.