Things are looking up. It’s nearly spring, an end to lockdown is in sight and… it’s British Pie Week (1-7 March). There’s something really comforting about a pie, so, to crudely paraphrase Slyvia Plath: “Cut yourself a big slice, open your eyes and let life happen.”
We’ve tested everything from your standard steak and ale classic to ludicrous-sounding – but delicious – vegan “cheezeburger” pies and found that the British pie tradition is very much alive and kicking in all its innovative forms. We also found that you can’t always judge a pie on its looks and discussed whether a pasty is technically a pie (it is not).
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In the pies we tested, we were, of course, looking for a decent amount of filling, but also a good filling-to-pastry ratio. We also looked for quality in our pastry – too soggy didn’t cut it, but too crispy and you lost us.
We also tried to include a decent range of vegetarian and vegan options as there are so many choices available now that pies now don’t have to be the preserve of the beefy. We enjoyed the quirky new artisan takes, but we also appreciated the reliability of some old favourites.
So come beneath the crust with us as we check out the very best British pies, many of which are (oh joy) now available as monthly subscription offers.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.