Rating Classic Pie Fillings

Which Classic Pie Filling Is Actually the Best? 😅🤔

There are some questions in life that have straightforward answers.

Tea or coffee? Depends on the time of day.

Beach holiday or city break? Depends on whether you enjoy sand in your sandwiches or not.

And then there’s the big one:

Which classic pie filling is the best? 🥧

Now, we appreciate that this is a bold question. Potentially even divisive. Friendships may be tested. Sunday lunch could become uncomfortably quiet.

But someone has to settle this age-old debate!

So, in the interests of pie science, we've decided to put some of Britain's most beloved classic pie fillings head-to-head.

Steak & Ale 🥩🍺

Let's start with a heavyweight. Steak & Ale is the pie equivalent of a tweed jacket. Traditional, dependable and certain it knows how things should be done.

Tender beef. Rich gravy. A good ale (in this case, Otter Ale) bringing a bit of depth. It's the sort of pie that doesn't need to shout about itself. It is what it is!

Classic credentials: 10/10
Chance of being ordered in a pub: Extremely high
Chance of gravy being involved: Also extremely high

Chicken, Leek & Bacon🐔🥓

If Steak & Ale is the old-school gentleman of the pie world, Chicken, Leek & Bacon is its slightly more fun sister.

Creamy, oh-so-comforting and packed with familiar flavours, it's the sort of filling that manages to be both traditional and a little bit fancy all at once.

Chicken – classic. Bacon – tasty! Leek – vegetable! Chuck in a creamy sauce and you’ve got a brilliant contender for best pie ever!

Creaminess: 10/10
Vegetable involvement: Technically yes
Comfort factor: Off the charts!

Steak & Kidney 🥩

Now we're getting serious. Steak & Kidney has been around long enough to have seen some things (have you read last week’s blog about it’s origins?). Wars & recessions. The invention of the internet. People putting pineapple on pizza. And yet it remains one of the favourites!

Rich, hearty and unapologetically traditional, Steak & Kidney is the filling for anyone who believes a pie should be the highlight of your day. It's not messing about.

Traditionalism: 11/10
Subtlety: Not really the point
Likelihood of requiring a post-pie sit down (or lie down!): High

Chicken, Mushroom & Tarragon 🐔

Another classic that refuses to go out of fashion.

Chicken & Mushroom is creamy, savoury and reassuringly familiar. It's the filling you can confidently serve to pretty much anyone without worrying that Uncle Dave is going to ask what on earth he's looking at.

It's also a brilliant reminder that sometimes the best food combinations are the ones we've been eating for years! There's a reason they're still here.

Crowd-pleasing: 12/10
Risk factor: Practically zero
Uncle Dave approval: Likely

Homity Pie 🥔

You've branched out. But only a little! This not-so-wild card, Homity Pie, is the comfort food of choice for the veggies. What’s not to love about Potato and Onion?! It's also a particularly good choice for people who say: “I don't really know what I fancy.”

You, Sir, fancy Homity Pie - you just didn't know it yet!

Simplicity: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10
Need for unnecessary embellishment: Zero

So... Which One Wins?

And here we encounter a problem. Because there isn't actually a correct answer. Some people want their pie rich and meaty, while others want it creamy and comforting. And some people just want whatever has the nicest pastry. Frankly, we respect all of these positions.

At Chunk, we're firm believers that there is no such thing as the best pie filling. There's only the best pie filling for you at the time of choosing. So perhaps the real answer to “Which classic pie filling is the best?” is actually: All of them.

And luckily, there's only one scientifically proven way to settle the argument. Eat them all!

Gluten Free Pies

Go on – take a Chunk!