The best steak and ales pies to buy: tried and tasted

WINNER: Charlie Bigham’s Steak & Ale Full Pastry Pie

270g, £5

This looks good, smells great and tastes delicious with ample chunks of beef and plentiful gravy that has a lovely ale flavour.

Hearty and wholesome with a homemade feel.

Rating: 9/10

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Higgidy Slow Braised Steak & Craft Ale Pie

200g, £3.75

Good-looking with firm pastry that cooks well, covering tender braised beef and abundant veg in a rich, hearty gravy full of ale flavours.

Rating: 9/10

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M&S Gastropub Steak and Old Peculier Ale Pie

250g, £5

This tastes better than it looks. The crispy pastry has a lovely flavour, and the pie is well filled with large steak chunks and plenty of onion.

The Old Peculier ale gives the gravy an excellent, distinctive taste.

Rating: 8/10

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Sainsbury’s Steak & Ale Puff Pastry Pie

200g, £2

A nicely goldened pie that looks good. The pastry does not have much flavour, however the filling has a rich, dark colour with a nice thick consistency.

The plentiful steak pieces are a good size and pleasantly tender.

Rating: 7/10

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Morrisons The Best Steak & Ale Pie

200g, £2.50

A nicely shaped pie that browns well, however the pastry is rather bland. The meat content is good, but the meat itself isn’t as tender as others, with little ale flavour.

The overriding taste is the black pepper topping.

Rating: 6/10

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Tesco Finest Tender Steak & Ale Pie

250g, £4

The blackened sage and onion sprinkles are not appetising and detract from the excellent shape.

The pastry is too dry and lacks a butter flavour, but the meat tastes excellent.

Rating: 6/10

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Waitrose Steak & Ale Pie

200g, £2.75

An appetising pie with a golden pastry lid that is delicious, though the pastry on the base lacks flavour.

The chunks of meat are small and the gravy doesn’t taste of ale, but the overall flavour is very pleasant.

Rating: 6/10

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Pieminister Moo Steak & Gluten Free Ale Pie

275g, £5.20

Crunchy, textured pastry – the best of all – let down by the filling: it’s not very beery and rather on the gloopy side, and despite large chunks of beef and plenty of veg, overabundant green peppercorns spoil the taste.