A trip to Penge and a McDonald’s Festive Pie make up a personal Christmas tradition in this Roberts London archive vlog. Published on 3 December 2015, Vlogmas day three follows the train journey, an evening high-street walk and a tasting of that year’s mincemeat-and-custard pie back home.
It is a small-scale Christmas outing, built around a seasonal snack rather than a big event. The pie is the destination, but the walk through Penge gives the film its local character.
A personal festive tradition
Barry begins at home, explaining that trying the seasonal McDonald’s pie has become a tradition over the previous couple of years. The opening sets up a visit to a corner of London that he feels receives little attention in vlogs.
The film is part of the 2015 Vlogmas series: everyday December outings, food and preparations for Christmas. Here, the festive ritual is simply going out to buy a pie and finding out what that year’s version tastes like.
The train to Penge East
The journey takes us onto the train and into Penge East station. By the time Barry introduces the area outside, the sky is darkening and the shop lights are coming on.
He describes Penge as a place he knows well, having grown up nearby. That familiarity shapes the walk: this is a look at an ordinary local high street through someone who has spent time in the area.
An evening walk through Penge
The camera passes older buildings, local shops and the Christmas decorations along the street. Barry comments on the practical character of the high street and reflects on changes in surrounding parts of south-east London.
Penge Food Centre gets a particular mention for its bread, fruit and vegetables. The illuminated shopfront is one of the landmarks recorded along the way, before the walk continues past other familiar food outlets.
McDonald’s Christmas menu in 2015
The destination is McDonald’s, where Barry explains the reason for the trip: the Festive Pie. He says in the vlog that the visit is not sponsored and that he is buying the food himself.
For this 2015 visit, the filling is mincemeat and custard. The original description identifies it, and the close-up of the packaging later in the film confirms the name. This is a record of that seasonal menu, rather than a description of what is available today.
A burger and fries while the pie cools
Back home, the paper bag comes out and the order is unpacked. Alongside the pie are a hamburger, small fries and ketchup.
Barry starts with the burger and fries while waiting for the pie to cool. The overhead close-up shows the simple meal on its wrapper, a quieter finish to the evening walk.
The mincemeat-and-custard Festive Pie
The box is held up to the camera before the tasting. Its seasonal design names the filling clearly: mincemeat and custard. Barry also points out the hot-filling warning on the packaging.
After taking a bite, he describes the outside as sugary, crisp and crunchy. Inside, he finds the fruit mincemeat alongside vanilla-flavoured custard, comparing the combination to a mince pie with vanilla ice cream.
The verdict
The response is positive. Barry says he prefers this version to the previous year’s pie and finds it more festive. A close look at the opened pastry lets the camera show the filling as well as recording his reaction.
The episode closes back at the sofa, with another small Christmas tradition completed. Penge’s evening streets and a seasonal takeaway give Vlogmas day three a distinctly everyday London setting.
Watch the Penge and Festive Pie vlog
Archive note: this film was originally published on 3 December 2015. The shops, seasonal menu and tasting described here belong to that visit.
