Have you tried the scones and pies from Kemnay Farm Shop?

You may or may not remember that The P&J covered a story on Kemnay Farm Shop last month.

What was it about, you may be asking? Well, to keep it brief, the shop’s neighbours had been complaining about the noise coming from the family-run business’ fridges.

You’ll spot a range of products by local producers at Kemnay Farm Shop. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

It got me thinking about the shop and why I hadn’t visited it before — despite wanting to on several occasions.

Located on Aquithie Road in a former police station, the business is well-known locally for its homemade pies and scones, among other things.

Part of the business’ café. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

And after reading the story written by colleague Kirstie Topp, yes, the apparent “noisy fridges” were on my mind, but I was much more interested in seeing how the food was.

As usual for my taste test missions, I was joined by P&J health and wellbeing journalist Andy Morton.

Michelle Clark. Image: Paul Glendell/DC Thomson

We stepped inside and made our way up to the cafe area, which had a cosy and homely feel to it, before being greeted by co-owner Michelle Clark. She was a delight.

Read on to see what dishes we tasted, and our ratings for each.

Maraconi pie

I first heard about Kemnay Farm Shop when chatting with a pal about their pies some time ago. They spoke very highly of them.

The macaroni pie. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

A few flavours were available that day, including steak, mince, and mince and mealie, but Andy’s eyes lit up when Michelle mentioned macaroni. Macaroni pie — priced at £3.50 — it was.

The team certainly aren’t stingy with their pie fillings. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

The pastry casing was crisp and robust, while the macaroni was thick and silky. It didn’t have an overwhelmingly cheesy taste to it either, which I enjoyed.

We cooled down the bake before tucking in. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

My favourite part was the crunchy top layer, but I would have loved some breadcrumbs scattered across the top too.

Andy, on the other hand, thought the pie was absolutely perfect as it was. He gave two thumbs up to the cheesy filling, which he said was so creamy it was “almost meaty”.

Ratings:

Andy: 5/5
Karla: 3.5/5

Loaded fries

Don’t get me wrong, I love a pie, but I was most excited about tucking into our £8 portion of loaded fries.

The price may sound steep, however, I can assure you that it’s value for money. The portion was impressive…

Our loaded fries were topped with steak, black pudding and whisky sauce. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Andy was a big fan of the chips. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Our toppings included steak, black pudding and whisky sauce.

I thought the combination of the peppery pudding, juicy steak and rich, creamy sauce with those fluffy chips was incredible.

I loved the flavour combination. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

P&J photographer Kami Thomson was fully on board with the dish too and praised it after giving it a go.

Andy wasn’t sold. He thought the component parts were delicious but didn’t think they went together so well. But then maybe he was already full from snaffling all of his macaroni pie.

The loaded fries cost £8. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Ratings:

Andy: 3/5
Karla: 4.5/5

Lentil and carrot burger

When heading out for taste tests, the pair of us like to order a veggie option when possible. The £8.50 lentil and carrot burger fit the bill.

I can honestly say this was the best veggie burger I have ever tasted, which I shared with Michelle.

Chips, coleslaw and a side salad accompanied the burger. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

I swear I was happier than I looked. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Often grainy, crumbly and lacking in flavour, this one was the complete opposite.

The burger had plenty of warming spices through it and you could taste the lentil and carrot in every bite. It also held together very well, so bonus points for that.

Inside the burger. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

I would head back to Kemnay Farm Shop just to order one again — along with a scone, which I’ll get to shortly.

Andy and I agreed that the burger would have excelled with a sauce in amongst the mix, but I’m sure the team would have happily provided some should we have asked, so that’s on us.

We scoffed the dish in minutes. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Ratings:

Andy: 4/5
Karla: 5/5

Mixed berries scone

Last but certainly not least was one of the celebrated Kemnay Farm Shop scones.

I believe there were three flavours on offer when we visited. The mixed berries option was a clear winner.

Our mixed berries scone was served with jam and cream. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

Pictures really don’t do this bake justice. Like our other portions, the scone was hefty.

Priced at £3.50, it was tender, flaky and had a decent amount of berries through it. I would have loved more, but that’s probably the greedy side of me coming through.

The cream was silky-smooth. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

There’s no hiding that we enjoyed the bake. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

The flavour was sensational when teamed with our accompaniments — a sweet jam and velvety cream. Andy couldn’t get enough of it, as you can probably tell from our pictures.

I can see why people scream about the business’ food, it’s a treat.