Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

What to eat in the United Kingdom? Top 22 British Pies

Last update: Thu Feb 13 2025
Top 22 British Pies
VIEW MORE
01

Sweet Pie

JEVINGTON, England
4.2
Banoffee pie
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Banoffee pie is an English dessert made with cream, bananas, and toffee on top of a pastry shell or on top of a base made with crumbled biscuits. The name of the dish is a combination of the words banana and toffee. The sweet pie was invented in the 1970s by Nigel Mackenzie and Ian Dowding at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex.


It became extremely popular when the customers started to check regularly if the dessert was still on the menu. Today, banoffee pie is so popular throughout the world that it even has its own place in the dictionary, denoting "a tart or pie made with cream, bananas, and toffee", while the recipe for the pie can often be found on tins of Nestlé's condensed milk.

MOST ICONIC Banoffee pie

View more
1
2
3
4
5
02

Savory Pie

UNITED KINGDOM
4.2
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Steak pie is a traditional dish consisting of a pastry shell filled with stewed steak, gravy, and various vegetables, depending on personal preferences. The early versions, first recorded in the 18th century, consisted of a beefsteak pudding combined with suet.


Today, the dish is popular throughout the United Kingdom, and it is traditionally served on New Year's Eve in Scotland. It is recommended to pair the pie with chips, salt, and vinegar.

MOST ICONIC Steak Pie

View more
1
2
3
4
5
03
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Fisherman’s Pie is a traditional and Irish dish similar to shepherd’s pie, but made with seafood instead of meat. It typically includes a mixture of white fish like cod or haddock, sometimes with salmon or shrimp, cooked in a creamy sauce, such as bechamel, or cheddar cheese sauce.


The fish is often mixed with vegetables such as peas, corn, or leeks. The filling is then topped with mashed potatoes and baked until golden and bubbly. It's a hearty, comforting meal often served in coastal regions.

04
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

This classic British dish is a staple of pub food, consisting of a pastry shell filled with chunks of tender braised beef, vegetables such as onions and carrots, stock, dark brown ale, freshly chopped herbs, and Worcestershire sauce. The whole concoction is topped with a layer of flaky pie crust and baked until golden brown.


It is recommended to serve this comforting dish with chips and peas on the side.

MOST ICONIC Steak and ale pie

View more
1
2
3
4
5
05
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

One of the most popular comfort foods in the United Kingdom is called shepherd's pie, a hot and savory dish reminiscent of a casserole, consisting of minced lamb or mutton meat, potatoes, onions, carrots, Worcestershire sauce, thick gravy, and seasonings such as marjoram, parsley, and black pepper.


All of the ingredients are placed under a roof of buttery, creamy mashed potatoes, and baked in an oven until the pie is ready for consumption. This simple delicacy was invented by shepherds in the 18th century England and Scotland. The pie became extremely popular in the 1870s, and not by coincidence, as mincing machines became widely available to the public in those years. 

MOST ICONIC Shepherd's pie

View more
1
2
3
4
5
06
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Cheese and onion pie is an English comfort food dish. Although it is consumed all over the country, some sources suggest that it's a north-western tradition. The pie is typically made with a combination of shortcrust pastry, cheddar or crumbly cheeses, and cooked or fried onions.


Common, yet non-traditional additions include potatoes, crème fraîche, and a sauce made with flour, milk, and cream. It is recommended to serve the pie warm or cold, preferably accompanied by chips and a salad on the side.

MOST ICONIC Cheese and onion pie

View more
1
2
3
4
5
07

Savory Pie

LONDON, England
3.8
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Pie and mash is a traditional dish consisting of a pie filled with either chunks of beef or ground beef, and a side of mashed potatoes. Although the pies are nowadays filled with ground beef, in the past they were filled with eels from the Thames, which is the reason behind numerous Pie, Mash, and Eel shops in London.


Inexpensive, yet filling, pie and mash is still a staple dish of London's working class.

MOST ICONIC Pie and mash

View more
1
2
3
4
5
08
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Scotch pie is a traditional Scottish dish, known for its unique double-crust pastry filled with minced mutton or other meat.


The pie is characterized by its round, shallow form and a distinctive hot water crust pastry, which is sturdy enough to hold its shape even when not baked in a pie tin. Historically, Scotch Pies were made with mutton, but nowadays, they can be filled with beef, lamb, or a variety of other meats, often seasoned with spices and onions to enhance the flavor. 
09

Savory Pie

MELTON MOWBRAY, England
3.7
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

A multiple winner of the annual British Pie Awards, the world-famous Melton Mowbray pork pie is filled with the finest fresh pork meat which is chopped and seasoned with salt and pepper. When baked, the meat filling turns grey in color, just like roast pork, and it is particularly succulent.


Melton Mowbray pies are traditionally baked free-standing, without a hoop, which gives the golden-brown pastry case its typical shape.

MOST ICONIC Melton Mowbray pork pie

1
2
3
10
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Meat and potato pie is a comforting English staple that's perfect for a family meal. The pie shell is made from flour, beef suet, and cold water, while the filling is usually a combination of onions, beef (or sometimes lamb) chunks, and potatoes, whether waxy, floury, or both.


This meat pie is baked until it becomes golden bown, and before serving it's left to stan for a short while. The filling can optionally be enriched with carrots. Meat and potato pie is usually made at home and it's often accompanied by red cabbage on the side.

MOST ICONIC Meat and potato pie

View more
1
2
3
4
5
11
Beef Dish
WEST SUSSEX, England
3.6
12
Savory Pie
UNITED KINGDOM
3.5
13
14
15
Savory Pie
SHROPSHIRE, England
3.3
16
17
Savory Pie
MUSSELBURGH, Scotland
n/a
18
19
Sweet Pie
MARLBOROUGH COMMON, England
n/a
20
Savory Pie
ISLE OF MAN, United Kingdom
n/a
21
Savory Pie
CORNWALL, England
n/a
22
Savory Pie
TEMPLETON, Wales
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 22 British Pies” list until February 13, 2025, 1,426 ratings were recorded, of which 1,257 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

Show Map
British Pies