Bring on the pies to remind us of autumn and winter

A hearty pie brings winter vibes. Picture: Pixabay

WHAT have meat pies, school uniforms and University Challenge got in common?

The answer: autumn.

All of these things I associate with the change in seasons – and for me that can’t come soon enough.

It’s not the first time I have moaned in this column about how much I hate summer and it probably won’t be the last.

I’m a dyed in the wool autumn/winter person. I love the cold, the dark nights, winter clothing and winter food – and that’s where the pies come in. Last Sunday my husband baked a meat and potato pie, and, boy, it was good. I tucked on with gusto – savouring every mouthful, along with the mash, vegetables and gravy.

But not only was it delicious, it offered a taste of winter. As I ate it, I was transported to evenings beside a log fire, curtains drawn, a chill wind outside. As an autumn/winter person, it was comfort food in every sense. Pies, casseroles – warm, hearty, filling dishes – that’s what the so-called ‘back end’ brings.

I was heartened to learn that I am not alone in yearning for dishes associated with colder months. In a phenomenon nicknamed ‘feta fatigue’, people in the UK appear to have become fed up with heatwave fodder such as salads and other light, and I daresay healthy, meals.

Many are now craving unseasonal winter warmers, with Waitrose reporting a rise in comfort food purchases, with sales of cottage pies in particular up 100 per cent, while recipe searches on its website for dishes such as toad in the hole and spaghetti bolognese are up by 91 per cent and 67 per cent respectively. The mercury may still be rising, but we are craving those winter warmers.

So where does school uniforms and University Challenge enter the equation? Along with our changing culinary desires, they too are signs that autumn is fast approaching. Seeing pint-sized school skirts, trousers, shirts and cardigans in the Back to School displays in shops lifts my spirits – it means September can’t be far away. The worst is over.

School uniforms in shops remind me that autumn is on its way

And when University Challenge begins, towards the end of July, it’s yet another sign of the approaching change in seasons. The Monday evening TV quiz runs from July through to April, meaning the vast majority of episodes are aired during Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) when darkness falls much earlier. I associate the quiz show with snug winter evenings, with the fire burning brightly.

Among other welcome signs are the appearance of coal and logs in shops, replacing barbecue briquettes. Much to my delight, this has already happened in some stores, despite the ongoing heatwaves.

Halloween displays come far too soon in my opinion - I’ve seen them as early as July - but on the plus side, those home furnishings covered with pumpkins and ghosts are another indication that we are on the right track and summer won’t last forever.

It’s always great to see trees and hedgerows changing from green to orange and brown, although that is happening prematurely as the moment due to lack of water, which is a concern to environmentalists. I hope sufficient rain arrives soon to allow them to recover.

I’ve definitely got the summer equivalent of Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly known as SAD. Going through the motions of everyday life throughout June, July and August, I watch and wait for signs of autumn, silently rejoicing when they appear.

And as I wait, I take pleasure in the many little autumnal cues. And I create some of my own - I think I’ll make a stew this week and maybe have treacle pudding and custard for afters.