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@bigpearl

Hi Steve,

There is one solution that I am aware of to sate your lust for pies and sausage rolls. Somerset Home-baked Goodies works for me and many of my friends and may work for you (check their website). Their main production is in Davao City but they ship nationwide (airfreight, bus cargo etc.) and have occasional production in Makati City. They also respond to special requests . . .

Let me now if it works for you

Hi Steve

Mate I felt the same while I was there for a couple mths. Specially Meat pie Egg pie Bacon an Egg pie, Mash Potatoe pie and sauce rolls etc.

Not a solution for home but Abaca cafe in Cebu (there are a few outlets) does okay meat pies and sausage rolls let down mainly because the local tomato sauce is sweeter than the Aussie version and ... *drum roll* ... an amazingly good Lamington that would make even grandma proud

Thanks to all members, good to hear I'm not the only one and I suppose I need to get out a bit more and look, google also.

Cheers, Steve.

It's funny as when I grew up with telephone books it was let your fingers and eyes do the walking thumbing through thousands of pages of fine print,,,,,, now with a keypad and internet a few strokes reveals all,,,,,, though I never found pies nor sausage rolls I did find an interesting bakehouse 20 minutes away from us and seems the food they prepare and serve is very much what we were used to in Oz, freshly baked sour dough toasted with avocado, tomato, smoked salmon, poached eggs coated with hollandaise sauce, a plethora of choices  on the menu also with different baked breads, pastries and it's only 20 minutes away,,,,,,,, yep up a side street in San Juan and we never go up the side streets for a look see, more fool us it seems, will try it when they open on Wednesday.

Masa bakehouse.

Hope their bread is not full of sugar and they make good coffee/food.

Cheers, Steve.

I think I would miss pies also. You can't beat an occasional visit to Greggs to get a steak bake or sausage roll. Some great pies here in the Uk available from the butchers like Steak & Ale Pie, Meat & Potato and many others. A lot of the butchers here also do delicious hot meat sandwiches like chicken and stuffing, pork and apple sauce and beef with horseradish sauce and you can see the meat cooking on the spit. Absolutely mouth watering.

Sorry Steve if you are salivating right now.

Salivating or drooling Cherry? Yeah I hear you but it is certainly made up for with the seafood choices here and the prices are so cheap compared to western norms. A decent loaf of bread wouldn't go astray either instead of all the bl##dy sugar.

I will follow up on this topic once we try the new bakehouse later in the week with both food, bread and of course coffee.

When are you back Cherry?

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

I am giving serious consideration to coming back for a visit in November. I am not sure yet since November seems to be a shoulder month and I would like to do a bit of travelling around so would prefer decent weather. However saying that, it would be a cheaper in November and less croudy compared to later on. I am also not so keen on doing the 13 hour flight this time to Hong Kong and then connecting there to Cebu so may consider going via the Middle Eastern Countries. Saudi would be best since I have air miles with them.

A few more pies first though Steve.

Cherry, you should come back and retire here and skip the 13 hour flights, layovers etc.

Decent weather? November it's getting hotter and the best time for us here aside from the rain is May to September but our home is full on A/C and I generally spend most of my time in house through the hotter months and only go out when I have to, turn on the car A/C 10 minutes before I depart and only suffer the sun for short periods, Getting older and softer it seems.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Retirement for me is still nearly 4 years off so coming over on a permanent basis now is out of the question. November would just be another visit and I would like decent weather to enjoy the waterfalls, beaches, etc and would like to spend time visiting different islands.

As for my flight options, I do at least have the choice of splitting the journey should I decide on that option. The problem for me is that I have got used to stopping off somewhere on my way for a few days just to explore and have so far enjoyed time in HK, HCMC, KL and Seoul. I am not so keen on stopping off anywhere in the Middle East but I may consider doing so this time just to split the flights into more manageable portions while maybe only stopping off for a couple of days rather than 4 or 5.

@bigpearl

Where are you living Steve? Are you originally from the UK?

@bigpearl
Retirement for me is still nearly 4 years off so coming over on a permanent basis now is out of the question. November would just be another visit and I would like decent weather to enjoy the waterfalls, beaches, etc and would like to spend time visiting different islands.
As for my flight options, I do at least have the choice of splitting the journey should I decide on that option. The problem for me is that I have got used to stopping off somewhere on my way for a few days just to explore and have so far enjoyed time in HK, HCMC, KL and Seoul. I am not so keen on stopping off anywhere in the Middle East but I may consider doing so this time just to split the flights into more manageable portions while maybe only stopping off for a couple of days rather than 4 or 5. - @Cherryann01

CA I have just done a cursory check on Skyscanner and its cheaper (as disclosed to you on a PM) to open jaw the return flight. Manila return is about £100 more expensive than Manchester to Jakarta return from Manila to Manchester with Saudia. They are showing £611 for the above ‘open jaw’ flight in November

Cebu Pacific fly from Jakarta to Manila one way for about £115.(inc hold luggage) As you know I am in Jakarta in early November before flying down to Lombok for some ‘light recreation’

If you decide to join me I will show you the ‘sights’ including a visit to B.A.T.S bar & restaurant in the basement of the Shangri-La hotel - you will never and I mean never forget the experience. Its kind of like the now defunct Café Havana in Makati but on steroids. 😜

Copy you on the Greggs sausage rolls - had one today

@bigpearl
Where are you living Steve? Are you originally from the UK? - @jordy811

No Jordy, an Aussie and living in La Union, my home here for years and very happy aside from no meat pies or sausage rolls.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearlRetirement for me is still nearly 4 years off so coming over on a permanent basis now is out of the question. November would just be another visit and I would like decent weather to enjoy the waterfalls, beaches, etc and would like to spend time visiting different islands.As for my flight options, I do at least have the choice of splitting the journey should I decide on that option. The problem for me is that I have got used to stopping off somewhere on my way for a few days just to explore and have so far enjoyed time in HK, HCMC, KL and Seoul. I am not so keen on stopping off anywhere in the Middle East but I may consider doing so this time just to split the flights into more manageable portions while maybe only stopping off for a couple of days rather than 4 or 5. - @Cherryann01 CA I have just done a cursory check on Skyscanner and its cheaper (as disclosed to you on a PM) to open jaw the return flight. Manila return is about £100 more expensive than Manchester to Jakarta return from Manila to Manchester with Saudia. They are showing £611 for the above ‘open jaw’ flight in NovemberCebu Pacific fly from Jakarta to Manila one way for about £115.(inc hold luggage) As you know I am in Jakarta in early November before flying down to Lombok for some ‘light recreation’If you decide to join me I will show you the ‘sights’ including a visit to B.A.T.S bar & restaurant in the basement of the Shangri-La hotel - you will never and I mean never forget the experience. Its kind of like the now defunct Café Havana in Makati but on steroids. 😜Copy you on the Greggs sausage rolls - had one today - @Lotus Eater

Thank you very much for the information and the invitation to join you for a few days in Jakarta. I will message you in the next two or three days. I have also been checking open jaw flights on Skyscanner but I checked on flights from Manchester to Jakarta and other destinations for the outward leg and for the return leg from Cebu to Manchester and not from Manila since Cebu and the Moalboal area will be where I spend approximately half of my time while in the Philippines. The best option for Jakarta on the dates I entered (3 Nov - 30 Nov) seems to be a Qatar Airlines flight via Doha on the outward leg and a combination of Cathay Pacific and Qatar airlines on the return from Cebu via HK and Doha. This comes in at £777 and the flight timings are good for me. There are cheaper options such as a Swiss/Scoot/Garuda airlines combination via Zurich and Singapore in both directions for £647 but I prefer the Qatar Journey.

Can I please ask you what dates you used to get your results because if possible I would like to fly at least part of the journey with Saudia or Cathay Pacific to keep my air miles active? I can then use your dates to see the results for an open jaw flight from Manchester to Jakarta but returning from Cebu rather than Manila. I would prefer to at least avoid Manila for the return leg if possible. I did think that the ETIAS scheme might complicate my trip if I was going via Europe but that seems to have been put back now until the back end of 2026. I just remember a snotty Immigration Officer a couple of years ago at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport giving me a hard time because I had not got a stamp in my passport on a return flight from Vietnam via Paris and Amsterdam. He started quoting stuff about Brexit and how I needed my passport stamped but I went through immigration and followed all the correct procedure and don't think it was my fault if another Immigration Officer did not stamp my passport. I thought ETIAS may be required when transiting in a European Airport. Anyhow not a concern yet it seems.

40 odd years of flying I have never seen a meat pie served and penny pinching while can be astute never dictated my choice of travel nor layovers, focus was the destination and the meat pies I never found except the UK, yum.

Like you Cherry a 3/4/5 day stop in a different country can be a treat and sights to behold,,,,, still no meat pies but yes other culinary delights.

Enjoy your flights and return back to PH.

Chers, Steve.

@bigpearl

I

I would stop off in Budapest for a plate of delicious Hungarian Goulash if I had the time and last time I visited the Philippines I actually found a resort in Bohol, owned by a German guy and they served a very nice Hungarian Goulash. That is one thing I would give up the pies for.

@Cherryann01

Ok I put in the dates of Nov 4th to Dec 2 (if I recall).  I arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday the 5th. Will be there until Monday 10th when I fly down to Lombok.  Back in Jakarta about a week later and then fly on to Makassar.

Qatar with Cathay Pacific now showing same price as Saudia but CA its an early morning alarm (wakey wakey) call for you. Qatar leaving Manchester at 07.45 meaning you won't have time for your customary early morning fry up before departure lol. Moreover you get into Jakarta at 07.15 in the morning. Soekarno-Hatta airport is about 20 miles out of the city much further than Ninoy Aquino. You will hit the morning rush hour although you could use the airport rail link. You probably won't won't be able  to check into a hotel at that time without paying extra. Short outward stopover though in Doha. Good flight times coming back but with a longer stopover.

Jeez so many computations its doing my head in! 😫

@Cherryann01

New Delhi is about half-way with plenty to see and do. Just a thought

@Brojeslov

It’s the worst time of year to visit India’s capital in terms of pollution (November) Cooler yes but this exacerbates the air quality problem they have which is bad even during the monsoon season.

Besides I like to know what is in my sausage roll..

@Cherryann01
Ok I put in the dates of Nov 4th to Dec 2 (if I recall). I arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday the 5th. Will be there until Monday 10th when I fly down to Lombok. Back in Jakarta about a week later and then fly on to Makassar.
Qatar with Cathay Pacific now showing same price as Saudia but CA its an early morning alarm (wakey wakey) call for you. Qatar leaving Manchester at 07.45 meaning you won't have time for your customary early morning fry up before departure lol. Moreover you get into Jakarta at 07.15 in the morning. Soekarno-Hatta airport is about 20 miles out of the city much further than Ninoy Aquino. You will hit the morning rush hour although you could use the airport rail link. You probably won't won't be able to check into a hotel at that time without paying extra. Short outward stopover though in Doha. Good flight times coming back but with a longer stopover.

Jeez so many computations its doing my head in! 😫 - @Lotus Eater

I never checked the 4th November but I do remember the Qatar with Cathy Pacific combination on 3 November had a 14.15 departure time so plenty of time for a good old English fry up. I will check again tomorrow or Friday and message you directly.