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A Taste Of Michigan

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By MEGAN HUSSEY, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 9, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - Since the 1800s, when Cornish immigrants introduced the dish to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the pasty has become a staple of culinary cuisine in that part of the country.

Now, a Zephyrhills couple has brought the popular meat pie here.

Cassie and Allan Gower opened Ye Olde Miners Pasty Shop on Jan. 15 at 35201 State Road 54. They offer numerous variations of the pasty, a hand-rolled doughy shell that can be filled with combinations of beef, chicken, potatoes, onions and other vegetables.

"We wanted to provide the community with something that's been lacking - a place that bakes good meat pies," Allan Gower said.

The response from the community has been particularly favorable among older residents from Michigan area.

"They can't believe we're here," Cassie Gower said. "They do a double-take when they see the sign."

The Zephyrhills location is one of three stores owned by Michigan native Tom Freeland, who now lives in Colorado. The 30-year veteran of the restaurant business opened Ye Olde Miners three years ago in Englewood and Port Charlotte.

"The concept of the restaurant is family-friendly," Freeland said. "We use recipes we knew as kids."
Freeland based the theme of the restaurant on the rich history of the pasty, a dish that women in Cornwall, England, once prepared for their miner husbands.

"The crust was like a handle, and the pie would fit under their hats as they went down into the mines," he said.

By the time the dish came to Michigan, people of various cultures were integrating their favorite ingredients.

At Ye Olde Miners Pasty Shop, customers can choose from four types of pasties, which sell for $4.99.

Although pasties typically are eaten with ketchup, the shop also offers gravy as a topping, as well as homemade coleslaw and potato salad.

Before opening the pasty shop, Allan Gower worked for 12 years as assistant manager at Outback Steakhouse in Wesley Chapel; his wife continues to work at Outback as a server.

With a 7-year-old daughter at home, they wanted to start a business that would give them more flexibility.

"With me at the cash register and him in the kitchen, we strike a good balance, and we're also learning each other's skills," she said. "I get to cook, too, and he gets to talk to customers."

Aside from food, Ye Olde Miners also offers nostalgic touches that reflect its culinary heritage, from displays of vintage cookware to black-and-white photographs of Michigan coal mines and even some "Yooper" (someone from the Upper Peninsula) souvenirs.

One devoted customer is Michigan native Mary Blattert, who visited Ye Olde Miners with her husband, Don.

"All of our neighbors from Michigan said we had to come here," she said.

"We will be regular customers."

Those are the kinds of customers the Gowers think will keep coming back.

"Once they taste the pasty, they realize it's just as good as it was back home," Allan Gower said.

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