Cottage pie is a classic British dish, but it can be tricky to get the beef mince sauce right but there one simple everyday ingredient that can help transform the flavour of the filling without much effort.

Cottage pie makes an ideal dinner for September, as we begin preparing plenty of hearty meals now that temperatures are dropping and we’re spending more time inside. This quintessential British dish is relatively straightforward to prepare, requiring only a flavoursome beef sauce, mashed potatoes and a generous layer of cheese to achieve a crispy topping.

Nevertheless, those attempting cottage pie for the first time often end up with a watery or lacklustre meal due to using incorrect ingredients. While most concentrate on cooking the beef mince and vegetables when preparing cottage pie, the sauce is where most of the flavour resides, and achieving the proper consistency can prove challenging.

Fortunately, Chris Collins, founder of Don’t Go Bacon My Heart, has shared a straightforward method to perfect the sauce while simultaneously enhancing the pie’s taste – you simply need to incorporate gravy granules.

Chris said: “Here’s the secret weapon to this recipe – gravy granules. Not only will gravy granules help along with the thickening, but they’re going to turn the mince layer into a beautifully rich gravy as well. Win-win!”

Mince and vegetables naturally contain substantial moisture, meaning that adding beef stock can introduce excessive liquid that won’t evaporate during cooking.

This frequently results in a cottage pie sauce that’s excessively thin and runny, which both waters down the flavour and makes eating rather difficult.

Gravy granules may seem basic, but they are a crucial component, as they assist in binding the beef layer of the pie together more effectively.

Incorporating gravy granules will also contribute additional seasoning and a more intense gravy flavour to the pie, resulting in a far more satisfying taste without requiring any complex culinary techniques.

How to make a better homemade cottage pie

You will need:

For the beef layer:

• 1kg of minced beef
• One large white onion (diced)
• Two medium carrots (diced)
• 150g of mushrooms (diced)
• Two cloves of garlic (minced)
• 120ml of white wine
• 600ml of beef stock
• Four tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• Two heaped tablespoons of gravy granules
• One tablespoon of tomato puree
• One teaspoon of dried thyme
• One teaspoon of dried rosemary
• One bay leaf
• Salt and pepper

For the mashed potato layer:

• 2kg of baked potatoes
• Three heaped tablespoons of butter
• 250g of grated cheese
• 120ml of cream or whole milk
• A quarter teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Method:

To start, pour a little oil into a deep pan set over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, mushroom and garlic, then cook until all the vegetables have softened.

Subsequently, add the beef and cook until it is thoroughly browned, using a wooden spoon to break up the mince within the pan.

Pour the wine into the pot and allow it to simmer for five minutes, enabling the beef to absorb all the flavour. Then, add the gravy granules, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, rosemary, thyme, and the bay leaf.

Season with salt and pepper before bringing the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook the beef for 45 minutes until the sauce transforms into a rich, thick gravy.

Once the sauce has reduced and is ready, transfer the beef into a large baking dish. Allow the dish to cool for a minimum of 15 minutes prior to adding the mashed potatoes.

Advertisement

To prepare the mashed potato layer, fill a pot with cold salted water and add the potatoes. Place over a medium-high heat and boil the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until they are fork tender.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, drain them using a colander and leave them to stand for five minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Skipping this resting stage risks the topping of your cottage pie turning out soggy.

Next, return the potatoes to the pot and incorporate the butter, milk (or cream) and half of the cheese. Mash thoroughly before seasoning with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Advertisement

Carefully spoon the mashed potato over the beef mince, scatter over the remaining cheese and transfer to the oven for 25 minutes. The finished cottage pie should emerge beautifully golden, bubbling and wonderfully rich in flavour.

Lunchtime in London is about to get even better, with iconic sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s planning a British Invasion this autumn.

Known for its ‘fresh sliced, authentic Northeast-American style sub sandwiches on fresh baked bread’, Jersey Mike’s has been a favourite in US households for more than 60 years.

It recently clinched the top spot as America’s most popular fast-food chain, ending Chick-fil-A’s impressive 11-year streak.

And now the franchise, which operates over 3,000 locations across the US and Canada, is officially coming to the UK.

Marking the launch of the brand’s ‘European expansion’, the sandwich chain will be opening a store on Argyll Street in the West End, with plans to open an additional three central London locations.

Described by Nick Jonas as ‘the greatest sandwich [he] ever tasted’, could Jersey Mike’s really give fast-food royalty Subway a run for its money?

What is Jersey Mike’s?

For anyone who isn’t familiar with Jersey Mike’s, one of the reasons it’s remained such a firm favourite among Americans is because of its focus on fresh ingredients.

Similarly to Subway, customers are invited to line up and watch as a member of staff freshly prepares their chosen sandwich right in front of them.

Whether it’s different meats, cheeses, lettuce or additional toppings, everything is of high quality.

Ask Metro

Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications.

Latest London news

To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro’s London news hub.

Advertisement

For each sub, you’ll typically have a choice of two sizes: regular or giant. You can then decide whether you’d like your sandwich hot or cold.

Finally, you’ll be asked whether you’d like your sub prepared ‘Mike’s Way’ – which translates to onions, lettuce, tomatoes, oregano, salt and ‘the juice’, a signature blend of red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Some of the most popular items on the menu are the #7 which is a Turkey and Provolone sandwich and the #13, the Original Italian, which consists of prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami, and provolone.

A superior sandwich…?

With a massive cult following online, Brits will undoubtedly be excited to sample what some Americans have deemed the most ‘superior’ sandwich out there.

Advertisement

In a subreddit dedicated to the Jersey Mike’s fandom, one user wondered if it was the brand’s dedication to ‘simple and quality ingredients’ that made it so delectable, another theorised that there must be some ingredient in there that keeps him coming back for more – admitting he ‘craves a JM every week’.

And in a battle of the subs, the New Jersey franchise seems to be the clear winner for some customers.

@educationalad85 shares: ‘We have a Subway 0.4 miles from my house and were happy for decades. Our son-in-law raved about JM’s being much better. We eventually tried it and have never had Subway again.

‘JM’s has much better meats, cheese and bread. Even their oil and vinegar tastes better to me’.

Now, this isn’t to say that Subway is about to be knocked off the podium completely – one user on TikTok, @lyaah, recently revealed she regularly ‘dreams’ about their chocolate chip cookies.

Advertisement

However, industry analysis reveals they’ve experienced somewhat of a decline in recent times – largely due to the fact that some customers don’t feel as though the quality (or size of the sandwich) matches the menu’s hefty prices.

So, while a jam-packed sub from JM could still cost Brits upwards of £12, could it be worth it for the end product?

While an official opening date is yet to be announced, hungry Londoners can expect to get their hands on a fresh sub by ‘late autumn’.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk

Advertisement

Comments


Add as preferred source

The Slice

Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.

Advertisement

One of the pilots on board the Amazon Air cargo plane that overran a Miami runway and killed five people urgently warned the aircraft was going ‘too fast’ moments before the disaster, cockpit audio revealed. 

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shared a transcript of the plane’s cockpit audio on Wednesday, revealing the pilot’s frantic state just moments before the crash on September 6. 

The audio showed one of the pilots called for a ‘go around’ as the aircraft began its landing, in an attempt to abort the maneuver, and data showed the plane’s brakes were released and throttles engaged just 15 seconds before the crash, the NTSB said.

The pilot cautioned that they were going ‘too fast’ to make a safe landing, but the panicked call came too late, and the aircraft crashed and veered off the runway just five seconds later, the NTSB said. 

The aircraft then crashed through a fence and into a van owned by an airline cleaning company, killing all five workers inside the van. The victims were identified as Rolando Aleman, 55, Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53, Julio C Pineda, 75, Carlos Acosta Fajardo, 53, and Javierkys Reyes Quevedo, 47. 

The NTSB has not released the full audio, but said Wednesday that the pilot ‘made additional comments regarding the aircraft’s excessive speed throughout the remainder of the recording’ before the crash.

Earlier this week, the pilots on board the aircraft were named as Jaime Felipe Silva Molina and Joseph Carroll. The pilots survived, and NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said they were interviewed after their release from hospital with minor injuries. 

The contents of their interviews have not been revealed, and the investigation into the tragedy remains ongoing.

The pilots on board the aircraft were named as Jaime Felipe Silva Molina (left) and Joseph Carroll (right). They survived the crash

The pilot of an Amazon Air cargo plane that overran a Miami runway and killed five people urgently warned the aircraft was going ‘too fast’ moments before the disaster, cockpit audio revealed

The pilot cautioned that they were going ‘too fast’ to make a safe landing, but the panicked call came too late, and the aircraft crashed and veered off the runway and crashed into a van, killing five people

Advertisement

The NTSB said on Wednesday that evidence suggests the pilots of the aircraft knew they had botched the landing moments before the crash, but left it too late to perform a ‘go around’ and re-try the landing.

Alongside one of the pilots making multiple warnings that they were going ‘too fast’, electronic systems on board the plane also blared several warnings beginning a minute before the crash, officials said. 

Chihoon Shin, the lead investigator into the crash, said at a press conference that the plane was traveling at 182mph when its nose landing gear first touched down. 

The pilots did not apply the brakes for another seven seconds, and the left-side of the main landing gear did not touch the runway for another four seconds.

The data showed that the pilots severely botched the landing, Michael O’Donnell, a former Federal Aviation Administration investigator, told the New York Times, describing the touchdown sequence as ‘really bad.’

‘The nose should not hit first,’ he explained. ‘That is an unstable approach right there, and that really tells me that the go-around should have been executed a lot sooner, and they weren’t in total control of the aircraft.’

The NTSB said on Wednesday that evidence suggests the pilots of the aircraft knew they had botched the landing moments before the crash, but left it too late to perform a ‘go around’ and re-try the landing

The aircraft  crashed through a fence and into a van owned by an airline cleaning company, killing all five workers inside the van

Advertisement

The NTSB data showed that 15 seconds before the audio cut off in the crash, the plane’s brakes released and the throttles increased, indicating that the pilots attempted to reverse the landing at the last second and attempt the ‘go-around.’

At that moment, the plane was moving at 138mph, Shin said, and the ‘throttles increased to values consistent with go-around thrust.’

Shin said the pilots did not re-apply the brakes until 11 seconds before the recording cut off, and they allegedly never deployed the aircraft’s speed brakes or thrust reversers, both of which could have helped slow the plane.

Homendy said that investigators are still looking into how close to the end of the runway the plane was at these moments, and that is ‘something we still have to determine.’ 

O’Donnell told the Times that the plane would have been moving at roughly 200 feet per second during those crucial final seconds when the brakes were released.

‘If you do the math, that’s a lot of runway that went by while they were doing that,’ he said.

The Boeing 767 slammed into two vehicles as it tried to land on the tarmac on Sunday

Shin said that when the recorder stopped and the plane crashed, the aircraft was still moving at 75mph.

Steven Arroyo, an aviation expert and retired United Airlines pilot, told the Times that the newly released audio timeline suggests there was indecision or confusion in the cockpit over whether to abort the landing at the last moment.

‘You either land or you go around,’ Arroyo said.

‘You don’t land, attempt to go around and then get back to landing again, unless there was some mechanical malfunction.’ 

The area was taped off after the incident

A supermarket has issued an update regarding its reopening after its roof partially collapsed. Emergency services were called to Iceland in High Street, March, just before 3pm on Tuesday (July 28).

The supermarket’s roof had collapsed. No one was injured, but a cordon was put in place and the building next door was evacuated as a precaution.

Cambridgeshire Police assisted with the cordon on July 28. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue also assisted the police.

Now, an Iceland Foods spokesperson has confirmed that they expect the High Street store to reopen later this year. An Iceland Foods spokesperson added: “Our priority remains ensuring all safety and hygiene requirements are fully met before welcoming customers back, and we look forward to serving our shoppers again once all necessary work has been completed.”

A fire spokesperson previously said: “A crew from Chatteris was called just before 3pm yesterday to assist police colleagues at an incident on High Street in March. Firefighters helped to make the area safe and returned to their station by 8.35pm.”

Fenland District Council cordoned off a walkway between the City Road car park and High Street at the time of the incident.

Lewis Monaghan attacked the woman after accusing her of stealing money from his mother, despite being barred from going to her home.

The 27-year-old repeatedly punched the woman while she was on the ground before taking £15 from her pockets on June 14, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Emma Atkinson said Monaghan attacked the woman who helps his disabled mother.

She said: “He punched her in the face, kicked and punched her from behind, and she told him to check her pockets, denying she had taken anything.

“He has punched her again, causing her to fall to the floor, and as she was laid on her back, he has continued to assault her by punching and kicking her.

“He has checked her pockets and removed £15 before saying – ‘have you ever been hit with a frying pan?’ and then hit her arms and hands.

“He has dragged her into the hallway, but she managed to get up, before dragging her into the bathroom.

Lewis Monaghan admitted GBH and breaching a restraining order after attacking a woman with a frying pan and threatening rape. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

“He said to her, ‘You’re not going anywhere tonight – I’m going to kidnap and rape you’.”

Miss Atkinson said the woman escaped Monaghan’s mother’s Middlesbrough home and called police.

Police arrested Monaghan at his mother’s home the next day, finding him hiding in the pantry.

Monaghan admitted grievous bodily harm and two breaches of a restraining order following his arrest on June 15.

His defence lawyer asked for pre-sentence and psychiatric reports before he was sentenced.

Judge Jonathan Carroll adjourned the case until November for the reports and to consider whether Monaghan is dangerous before sentencing him.

Monaghan, who has no fixed address, was remanded in custody.

Monaghan was previously jailed for 46 months and two weeks after attacking police officers and breaching a restraining order; the court also heard he had been diagnosed with psychosis.

Barnes Worldwide Travel Ltd, founded in 2007, was an independent travel agent offering holidays to destinations worldwide, including:

• New York
• Egypt
• Turkey
• Las Vegas
• Greece
• Cyprus

However, after 19 years, ABTA confirmed that Barnes Worldwide Travel Ltd ceased trading on Tuesday (September 9).

As a result, the travel agent’s website is now offline.

Are holidays booked with Barnes Worldwide Travel affected?

ABTA has confirmed that bookings made through Barnes Worldwide Travel should not be affected.

The Liverpool-based travel agent was not the operator of the holidays it sold, meaning bookings should remain valid through the named tour provider.

Customers are advised to check their paperwork to identify the tour operator or principal travel business responsible for their booking.

This information should be listed on booking documents or, for flight-inclusive packages, on the ATOL Certificate under the section ‘Who is protecting your trip’.

ABTA said: “To ensure your holiday continues as planned, you will need to contact the credit control department of your tour operator or other principal travel business with whom you have a contract.

“Your booking should continue as normal, and they will be your direct point of contact.

“Please ensure that you have your documentation with you, as they may require information from this to assist you.”

Other UK travel companies that have closed in 2026

Several other UK travel companies have ceased trading or entered administration in 2026:

Wayfairer Travel Limited has also suspended all services “until further notice” as it looks to appoint an administrator.

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation:

• Ascend Airways (liquidation)
• EcoJet Airlines (liquidation)
• Zenith Aviation Limited (administration)
• European Cargo (administration)

Have you booked a holiday through Barnes Worldwide Travel recently? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

He told reporters at the company’s headquarters: “You might find some people will choose not to fly with Ryanair – but you know they’ll be overrun with the people abandoning Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, BA, and others desperate to get to Ryanair’s low fares because they can’t afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe.”

Manchester United have made a change at the academy level that could benefit JJ Gabriel and the club’s other top prospects

JJ Gabriel has received a boost to his hopes of making his competitive Manchester United debut due to a change made during Michael Carrick’s tenure. The 15-year-old is one of several academy prospects with hopes of breaking into Carrick’s team this season.

Teenage sensation Gabriel captured attention with his eye-catching U18 performances last term, scoring 26 goals in 29 games. He has since stepped up to the U21s, scoring twice and recording two assists across his two appearances.

Gabriel is eligible to play in the Premier League this season as he continues to make waves at the age group level. Gabriel featured for the first team during pre-season, and Carrick has repeatedly praised the young attacking midfielder, who can also play as a striker.

Many academy players are hoping to catch the United manager’s eye, given that he attends United’s U21 and U18 games. A crucial rule change should create a smoother transition to the first team for the club’s rising stars.

United’s academy players have now been aided in their efforts to make a first-team impact by U21 boss Adam Lawrence switching from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 system. Under Carrick, the new policy of mirroring the senior side’s formation should ensure that the club’s youngsters, including Gabriel, have a better understanding of their roles when they move up to the senior side.

The Daily Mail reports that the formation change allows Gabriel to learn Bruno Fernandes’ No.10 position. Meanwhile, the U21s have copied Carrick’s deployment of Matheus Cunha as a false nine by playing Amir Ibragimov up front.

The report adds that the decisions to send Chido Obi out on loan and allow Louie Bradbury to join Stoke City could hint at a long-term strategy involving false nines. A move away from orthodox strikers may also give Gabriel another opportunity to force his way into the United team, given his prolific form as an academy player.

Carrick watched Gabriel make his United U21s debut last month. The 15-year-old got on the scoresheet and assisted two in a 5-0 win over Ipswich Town, earning praise from the first team boss.

Essential 26/27 Sky Sports Bundle for the new season

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£51

£35

Sky

Advertisement

Get the deal here

Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

This introductory offer saves £384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions.

“I thought the boys played ever so well, actually,” Carrick said after the game. “Really good team, really strong team that we had, and you could see that the quality. I really enjoyed the game. Really pleased with the boys, the way they went about it. The quality, the attitude, everything about the game was really good. So, really encouraged by that.

“JJ is one of the boys. He’s obviously got a really big talent. He’s trained with us quite a bit. He’s getting experience all the time. He’s physically adapting to each step that he makes, and just continuing his development.”

While intrigue continues to surround Gabriel, United star Bryan Mbeumo has said the teenager could be suited to a different position. The forward previously suggested that the attacking midfielder would potentially flourish as a winger for the Reds.

“He’s actually kind of a winger, he’s a dribbler and even in front of the box, I still think he’s good, honestly,” Mbeumo told Zack En Roue Libre in March. “He’s strong, the little guy is strong. Yeah, he’s strong, he’s really something, frankly… I think he’s 15.

“You feel that he’s bound to be a little kid but he trains quite a bit with us and actually you see, you can feel that the little guy has something special.”

Benbow described the scene on the ridge as “full winter conditions”.

He said he was told by Long’s family that he had been walking in the Lake and Peak District but this was his first time in Eryri.

While the pair had spiked footwear they did not have crampons nor ice axes, Benbow said.

He said there was signage at various parts of the mountain range warning that certain routes require experienced climbers with Crib Goch described as an “extreme scramble”.

Benbow said at the time he was first alerted there was not enough information about the location and nature of the call to deploy immediately.

Det Con James Lloyd from North Wales Police’s professional standards department told the hearing that although attempts were made by the control room to make further contact with the 999 caller “the incident wasn’t escalated as it should have been”.

He said there had been “learning” for staff and the force to pass on similar calls to mountain rescuers sooner for them to assess.

Long’s father, questioning Lloyd via videolink, described the situation as “incompetence”.

Lloyd said he found the force did not contribute to the deaths of the two men.

Assistant coroner for North West Wales Sarah Riley said both men died of multiple traumatic injuries.

The inquest continues.

Police were called to the post office on Stockton High Street at around 2.20pm on Wednesday (September 9).

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.

No injuries were reported.

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said: “At 2.20pm on Wednesday, September 9, police were called to Stockton High Street following reports of a robbery involving a man with a knife.

“There were no injuries reported.

“A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and is currently in police custody.”