Whether held in the hand and devoured on the go or eaten in the pub with piles of buttery mash on the side, the UK has an array of wonderful pies to try. From no-frills local spots with a cult following to historic butchers' shops and high-end restaurants, we've found Britain's best pies in every region – each of England's nine official regions, plus Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Has your local made the list?
In the mood for a proper pie? Click or scroll through our gallery to discover Britain's tastiest pies, counting down to the most delicious of all.
Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
Farming, food production and shopping all come together under one roof at Ludlow Farm Shop, one of the country’s most acclaimed food hubs. A dazzling array of goodies is produced here, from artisan cheeses to amazing preserves, but it’s the bakery that really draws the crowds. Alongside sourdough bread and delicious cakes, you’ll find some of the region’s tastiest pies, many of which are jam-packed with ingredients sourced fresh from the farm. Highlights include a venison and redcurrant pie, and a pie filled with roasted vegetables and the shop’s handmade Lady Halton Smoked Cheese.
Chambers in Nottingham proves that pork pies don’t have to be made in Melton Mowbray to be among the best. The award-winning butchers, established in 1889, took home Best Pork Pie at the British Pie Awards 2024, receiving top marks for its meaty fillings made with natural ingredients. The shop is also home to a Charcoal Ploughman’s Pie, which teams high-quality pork, cheese and pickle with the robust flavours of mustard, ginger, turmeric and chilli.
A chip shop pie is its own beast, designed to sit perfectly alongside a heaping pile of hot chips and a dollop of mushy peas. The Cod’s Scallops in Nottingham is not only rated highly as a chippy in its own right, but it's also home to one of the best fish and chip shop pies around. The cheesy potato and onion pie is the standout choice, pairing mature farmhouse Cheddar with roasted onions, potato and a touch of piquant coarse-grain mustard. The shop's classic steak and ale pies and chicken, ham and leek pies also pair well with hand-cut chips and your choice of sauce.
Renowned for its beautiful stained-glass windows, opulent dining room and ingredient-led cooking, this Soho icon also serves up some of London’s most delicious pies. Quo Vadis has a dedicated following for its ever-changing pie of the day, which is an affordable and filling option for those wanting to visit the storied spot without breaking the bank. Fillings are often meaty, loaded with everything from chicken to goat or seasonal game, with a rich, unctuous gravy and suet pastry top. Of course, they're best enjoyed with the restaurant’s famous buttery mash.
Fibber Magee is one of Belfast’s most-loved watering holes, known for its hearty pub grub, great beer and lively atmosphere. It's steeped in tradition, with a roaring fire and live folk music, so you’d be hard pressed to find a more authentic Irish pub experience in the city. There’s only one pie on the menu – steak and Guinness, naturally – but it’s utterly unbeatable, best served with champ or a huge pile of chips.
The humble pie gets a seriously sophisticated makeover at Holborn Dining Room, where the artful bakes look almost too good to eat. This elegant, chandelier-decked space is pretty high end, and the pies are famous for their masterfully intricate designs and sumptuous fillings. Highlights from the menu include the Dauphinoise potato pie (featuring a melty tangle of Comté and caramelised onion in a parsley sauce), and a decadent salmon, octopus and saffron fish pie served with a stunning bisque. Particularly fun is the street-side hatch, The Pie Hole, where you can buy pies to take away.
A glossy gastropub set in a converted Grade II-listed Georgian property, The Suffolk Arms has a loyal fanbase for its amazing ‘pie flight’ featuring three mini pies – traditional steak, chicken and mushroom, and potato and leek – and a jug of homemade gravy. The restaurant also has an ever-changing roster of two daily pie specials, and one of them is always a creative vegan option.
Pieminister has branches all over the UK, but the flagship Leeds restaurant is something pretty special. Spread over two floors, with views across the Corn Exchange, it’s pie heaven, with cocktails and ice cream sundaes thrown in for good measure. Many of the pies are veggie or vegan and can be made gluten-free, and you can even ‘stack’ your pie with a tasty skewer of courgette fritters, onion rings or halloumi for an instant upgrade. For a roast with a difference, the Sunday Best (pictured) always draws in the crowds. Be sure to try the harissa and chicken pie, too – it won big at the British Pie Awards 2024.
If you can think of a pie flavour, the team at Mad O'Rourke's Pie Factory probably makes it. This fun and quirky Black Country pub is loved for its warm, family-friendly atmosphere and is pretty much always very busy. The most famous dish here is the gigantic Desperate Dan Cow Pie – a 4lb (1.8kg) feast of steak, kidney and seasonal vegetables slowly cooked in a rich gravy. It's so large, diners who finish it get a certificate. Another local favourite is the Andy Murray, a mild and creamy chicken curry pie topped with naan bread.
This legendary Melton Mowbray pie shop has been a fixture in the town for over 170 years, when John Dickinson started selling hand-raised pork pies using his grandmother's recipe. These world-famous pies are distinctive for their melt-in-the-mouth hot water pastry, packed with a seasoned pork filling that’s surrounded by a meaty jelly to protect it. They’re still made the traditional way, and the shop is a real celebration of the art of proper pie-making, with lots of different sizes and flavours available.
This popular street food vendor has been making waves around the West Midlands since 2014, when founder Jay Jones started selling gourmet pies – first from a converted ice cream van, then from a Citroen H van named Claude. These days, Pietanic has kiosks at both Villa Park (the home of Aston Villa Football Club) and Molineux Stadium (Wolverhampton Wanderers' home ground), and the van is a regular fixture at food markets and pubs around the region. The menu is full of classics like steak and ale pies and chicken and mushroom pies, but the must-order is the bacon cheeseburger pie, layered with beef mince, smoked bacon, tomatoes, mozzarella, Cheddar and sliced pickles.
Scotch pies are a staple of bakers and butchers across Scotland, distinctive for their crisp double-crust shell and simple filling (traditionally made with minced mutton, but more commonly made with beef or lamb nowadays). Everyone tends to think their local favourite is the best, but – according to the 2024 World Championship Scotch Pie Awards – James Pirie & Son of Blairgowrie makes the country’s best. The small, family-run butcher's shop has won the accolade four times, so you know its pies are pretty special.
What could be more cheering than a pint of real ale and a plate of pie and mash in front of a log fire? Housed in a beautiful Grade II-listed building, The Redhouse is one of Newcastle’s most charming pubs, complete with exposed wooden beams, a friendly atmosphere and lots of cosy corners to settle into. The pub has a real following for its excellent pie menu, which allows customers to customise their perfect plate with a choice of pie, one of seven potato sides (ranging from roast potatoes to confit garlic mash), one of four pea options (the pease pudding is a must-try) and one of five sauces.
Pub grub is taken to mouthwatering new heights at this centuries-old spot in the historic village of Grasscroft. The Farrars Arms has a reputation for serving what may be the North's best cheese pie, as well as an impeccable Stilton and Camden Ale pie. Also on the menu you’ll find handmade rag pudding, a unique regional speciality made by wrapping minced meat and onions in suet pastry, then cooking the whole thing in a cheesecloth. On Sundays, you can enjoy a roast dinner with one of the pub's delicious pies on the side.
Corries Farm, a family-run farm in Newtownards, has been producing top-quality meat since the 1970s, and it has several butcher shops around County Down and County Antrim. All of the farm's food is pretty special, but its massive deep-filled pies – loaded with fresh-from-the-farm meat and veggies – have a dedicated local following. Bestsellers include simple but perfectly made options like steak and Irish stout pies, and chicken and ham pies.
Clark's Original Pies is a Cardiff icon and one of the city’s most-loved foodie spots. The old-school shop was founded by Mary Clark in 1913, and its signature meat pies, known as ‘Clarkies’ or ‘Clarksies’, have a distinctive thick-crust pastry, which means you can hold and eat them with one hand (and the bake will stay intact right to the last delicious mouthful). The oval-shaped pies are filled with minced beef and potatoes in a rich gravy, and they have the trademark ‘Clarpie’ stamped into the base. There’s also a much-loved branch in Bristol, which was opened by Mary Clark’s son Percy in the 1930s; it's separate but still thriving to this day.
This popular takeaway is best known for its incredible cod and chips, but the spot also has a dedicated local following for its exceptional handmade pies. It took the top prize at the British Pie Awards 2024, winning the Supreme Champion title for its Minted Wensleydale Lamb & Potato pie. Renowned for its friendly service and generous portions, the Barnard Castle chippy has been run by husband-and-wife team David and Lydia Sumte since 2012, and they handcraft their perfect pies fresh each morning.
You’ll struggle to find a more idyllic spot to feast on a freshly baked pie than Lochinver Larder, a pie shack and restaurant overlooking the gorgeous Loch Inver in the Scottish Highlands. The eatery is particularly known for its amazing fish pies, crammed with smoked haddock or poached salmon, but be sure to grab one of the incredible sweet pies for dessert – they're available in tempting flavours like chocolate, pear and almond, and rhubarb and strawberry.
This award-winning traditional butchers is known all over North Wales and beyond for its sensational sausages and expertly made savoury bakes. Here, the go-to order is always the classic pork pie – which can be topped with everything from Stilton to apple, if you fancy something different. Edwards is also loved for its hot lunch specials, ranging from loaded meat sandwiches to stunning meat pies served with chips and lashings of gravy. Diners love to grab a picnic pie and take it to Conwy’s pretty harbourside to enjoy it. Just watch out for the seagulls!
Walking down The Shambles, York’s meandering medieval shopping street, it’s impossible to resist the waft of freshly baked pastry coming from this old-school pie shop. Tourists and locals queue out the door to get a taste of the exceptional pork pies crafted here, and diners praise the perfectly seasoned fillings and golden, melt-in-the mouth pastry. Unique creations like the char siu pork pie, flavoured with leeks and Chinese five-spice, and the mushroom Stroganoff pie are also very popular.
Fancy experimental fillings are one thing, but Measures in Brampton village knows that sometimes you can’t beat the classics. It’s this butchers’ steak and kidney pie that turns heads and picks up awards, and it’s made with only the finest quality ingredients, from dry-aged beef to handmade shortcrust pastry. Produced from a traditional recipe, it’s known to provoke nostalgia and get mouths watering. The local Brampton pie is also a must-try, featuring tender chicken and ham in a creamy sauce over a layer of sausage.
This family-run spot on Great Ayton's bustling high street is an old-school butcher's shop, through and through. There’s a huge selection of handmade pies on offer, but people flock from far and wide for the traditional pork pies, often served warm from the oven and jam-packed with perfectly seasoned pork taken from a special blend of cuts. They’re also available with additional flavours like black pudding and apple, and the melt-in-the-mouth hot water pastry is pretty much as good as it gets.
Everything’s made from scratch at Turner’s, the West Sussex bakery that's been going strong since 1933. Now with three shops in the county, plus one in Hampshire, Turner's is loved for both sweet and savoury pies, having won awards for its steak pies and apple pies. Delicate shortcrust pastry and rich, flavourful fillings are signatures of this small chain’s pies, which have made their way into Harrods and appeared on TV. They fly out of the shops each day, and they’re available to order online via the bakery's Pies By Post service.
If you’re looking for an authentic pie, mash and liquor experience in London, there’s no better place than this historic pie chain. East End pie and mash is a delicacy that people either love or hate, and the traditional plates that have been served up at M.Manze since it was founded in 1902 are unlikely to change your mind if you fall into the latter camp. However, if you love simple pies, it’s a must. The Tower Bridge branch – said to be London’s oldest pie and mash shop – is worth a visit purely to see the green-tiled Victorian interiors.
At Edinburgh’s The Piemaker you’ll find quintessentially Scottish ingredients packaged up inside delicious pastry parcels. The signature haggis pie, stuffed with peppery haggis, turnips and mashed potato, is a bestseller for good reason, but veggie options like the Greek-style feta pie and spinach bougatsa pie are also fantastic. This no-frills shop is also brilliant value for money and stays open into the evening, making it the perfect stop for a meal on the go.
Pie and mash is treated like an artform at Tony's Pie & Mash Shop, a traditional spot that’s said to make the best pies outside of the East End (and which counts the likes of David Beckham among its fans). The Essex eatery sells just the one type of pie – minced beef – but it's cooked to perfection, and it's best enjoyed with a huge mound of mash and jellied eels on the side, if you’re brave enough. The liquor (a punchy bright green parsley sauce traditionally served with pie and mash) also gets top marks from locals.
The mark of a great pie is the all-important pastry to filling ratio, and fans say this charming café in rural Norfolk has got it cracked. A true hidden gem, Obrennans Coffee House & Café is praised for the wonderfully buttery and glossy handmade pastry used to encase its pies, as well as the generous amount of filling. The pies here have a real homely quality, with the bestselling chicken, smoked bacon, ham and mushroom pie featuring lovely big chunks of meat and veg.
This thriving East Midlands chain is a real success story, showing there’s still a place for traditional butchers' shops on the high street. Bowring has three locations in Mansfield and Chesterfield, all selling fantastic quality meat sourced from the owner’s family farm in rural Nottinghamshire. The chain was named Best Small Producer at the British Pie Awards 2024, and locals rave about the sensational pork pies made fresh every day, topped with everything from Stilton to sage and onion stuffing.
For glorious old-fashioned pies served in the cosiest surroundings, head to Humble Pie 'n' Mash, one of Yorkshire’s most unique restaurants. Decked out in vintage style, complete with a roaring log fire and original timber framing, the family-run business is located inside a lovingly restored 16th-century building, so it has bags of character. The peppered steak and ale pie is a firm favourite, as is the Romany Hommity Pie, a veggie feast packed with potatoes, garlic, cheese, spices and parsley. The homemade mash and mushy peas are also excellent.
Flaming Galah is right at home in cosmopolitan Norwich, offering hearty pies with an Australian twist. This no-frills takeaway is housed inside a former fish and chip shop, and it serves piping hot pies with lashings of tasty gravy at an affordable price. Here you’ll find traditional Aussie-style pies – with a classic beef and gravy filling, a shortcrust base and a flaky pastry top – but the shop is best known for its more unique specials, filled with everything from Thai curry to seafood chowder.
The bakery team at Turnbull's has over 120 years of combined experience and makes over 3,000 pies a week by hand, so you know you’re in safe hands at this buzzing family-run food hub. The pies here are as traditional as it gets, with no wacky flavours on the menu. Instead, you’ll find great British classics cooked to total perfection – like the shop’s signature steak and ale pie, made with the finest local beef, as well as beer specially produced for Turnbull's by a nearby brewery.
Some may believe a fish pie should always be topped with mashed potato, but the Fishwife Pie from WEECOOK Kitchen is proof that a pastry lid is just as delicious. About as meaty as a seafood pie can get, it sees layers of Scottish haddock, salmon and Arbroath Smokie (a type of local smoked haddock) all enrobed in a creamy parsley sauce. Winning awards and featuring on the small screen, it’s a fish pie to be reckoned with. Available from the shop’s deli counter, it sits alongside big, creative options like pies filled with black pudding, Stilton and onion chutney.
The bustling market town of Melton Mowbray punches well above its weight in the food stakes and is famous the world over for its pork pies. Brockleby's is one of the area’s most acclaimed pork pie makers, but the bakery is best known for its incredible hot pies, stuffed to the gills with fillings like creamy salmon with broccoli and dill, and Moroccan-spiced mutton. The must-order here, though, is the Moo & Blue Pie (steak and ale with melted Stilton running through it), which scooped the Supreme Champion prize in the British Pie Awards 2023.
Pie Demand founders Laura and Brian Twigg started selling bakes from their home kitchen in 2019, and demand for their ‘traditional pies with a modern twist’ was so high that they soon opened a proper bakery in the centre of Carlisle. Everything is handmade in small batches, and highlights from the lengthy menu include steak and haggis, chicken balti and sweet apple pies. You can grab a pie from markets all over the region or buy directly from the bakery – and there's also a regular pop-up at Carlisle train station.
The Bell Hotel in the pretty market town of Winslow is a haven for pastry lovers. It serves fantastic handcrafted pies in the bar, as well as takeaway meals from its very own pie shop. With exposed beams and stone-flagged floors, this historic coaching inn is the perfect place to feast on hearty delights made with ingredients from local farmers and growers. What’s more, the hotel came top in three categories at the British Pie Awards 2024, winning particular praise for its pheasant, venison, bacon, black pudding and quail egg pie.
Piecaramba first opened in Southampton back in 2016, with a mission to ‘reinvent pie and mash, dragging it kicking and screaming into the 21st century’. The pies here are certainly anything but traditional, filled with everything from mac 'n' cheese to pulled jackfruit. Can’t decide which one you want? Order the ‘Piefull Tower’, a two-pie stack with mash, mushy peas, gravy and a moreish cheese and crispy onion topping.
Known locally as ‘the pie pub’, this cosy Oxfordshire tavern gets top marks for the sheer variety of pies on offer – which is even more amazing when you realise everything is made fresh on the day. It’s been around since the late 1500s and remains an utterly charming spot, with diners flocking from all around to try one of the kitchen's many pastry creations. Here, you’ll find all your classic flavours alongside more unusual treats like steak, onion, Marmite and Cheddar pies, and pies filled with creamy peppered mushroom, potato and tarragon.
This traditional butcher has been a mainstay of Mold since it first opened its doors back in 1933, and locals regularly queue down the street to get a taste of its famous pork pies. Beautifully glazed, with the ideal pork-to-jelly ratio, customers say they’re some of the best around – and they also praise the shop’s warm and helpful service. While the pork pies are the bestselling items by far, the sausage rolls and steak and kidney pies are also said to be excellent.
As you can see, the all-butter pastry delights from Great North Pie Co come absolutely stuffed with filling, whether it's slow-braised beef and ale or classic Lancashire cheese and onion. A stalwart of Altrincham Market and the North West’s pop-up artisan market scene, the bakery opened its first dedicated pie café in Manchester city centre in 2023 and is known for using ingredients from the best local producers. The menu changes with the seasons, but you can expect to find treats like a chicken curry pie served with chips and chip shop curry sauce.
The amazing ‘two in one’ pie at The Coppa Dolla Inn, located in the sleepy village of Broadhempston, has been the pub’s signature dish since 1978. It consists of an earthenware bowl stuffed with your choice of filling (options range from pork and cider to steak and mushroom), half topped with pastry, and half topped with creamy cauliflower cheese. The result is a cheesy, bubbling delight that punters adore. Customers also praise the warm and welcoming ambience of the pub, as well as the friendly staff and charming olde-worlde décor.
The amazing pastry creations from this Wigan pie company are a real feast for the senses, adorned with all kinds of tasty toppings and crusts. Baldy’s shut up shop in 2023 due to rising costs, but relaunched as a ‘dark kitchen’ and pie van, hosting regular pop-ups at pubs, markets and farm shops in the region. British Pie Award–winning fillings include the Triple Truffled Cheese and the Big Jim, packed with 12-hour braised beef shin, bone marrow and confit onions, and topped with a smashed pistachio crumb. One speciality, dubbed the ultimate Wigan pie, is a minted lamb pie made in collaboration with historic local sweet company Uncle Joe's Mint Balls.
Mēs Pies and Wine in Kensal Green does a trade in rather refined pastry – its pies can even be found in the upmarket Food Hall at Selfridges. It took home the top prize for Beef and Vegetable Pie at the British Pie Awards 2024 for a sophisticated ox cheek, shin of beef and root vegetable number. If that’s not interesting enough for you, what about a venison, port and juniper berry pie, or a pie filled with duck, red cabbage and orange? The shop's seasonal pies are all handmade and available with a side of mash, plus veal or chicken gravy.
A success story born out of lockdown, Pie in the Sky was dreamt up by Scottish native Rob Kerr when he saw a gap in the market for hand-crafted gourmet meat pies upon moving to Londonderry. Unique fillings like macaroni cheese, vegan curry, steak and black pudding – and even a lasagne in a pie – have proven hugely successful. These days, Kerr hosts pop-up pie shops at markets around the region, and his pies are also sold at delis and farm shops in Londonderry and beyond.
A relative newcomer to the Nottingham food scene, Project Pies started out as a lockdown sensation, with founder Dan Lione selling his pies from various kitchens around the city. He finally opened a permanent shop last year in the Carlton Hill area – and it was an instant success, with 400 pies sold on the first day of business. There’s a dizzying array of fillings available, from traditional steak and ale to wackier concoctions like chilli mac 'n' cheese and the signature Goose Fair Pie – featuring minced beef and onion, with a layer of mushy peas.
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Last updated by Laura Ellis.