There are few foods out there that are more comforting than the classic old-fashioned steak pie.
Not only comforting and simple, but it also a truly versatile dish that can be enjoyed at any moment.
Out with your pals for dinner at the pub? Steak pie. Looking for home comforts? Steak Pie - add on some mash tatties, gravy and some veg and you have a decent dinner.
And, like so many things these days, there are multiple supermarkets offering their own versions of the British staple and everyone has their own personal favourite.
Which is exactly why Rebecca Astill from Birmingham Live decided to taste six steak pies from different supermarkets as part of the ultimate taste test.
Visiting Aldi, Lidl, M&S, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose, here is how she got on...
Aldi
Specially Selected Gastro Steak Pie, 250g, £1.89
Granted, the Aldi pie was from their Gastro selection, but it was absolutely delicious. Unlike the others, it had a crumbly pastry infused with herbs and the meat inside had the most flavour of any of them.
I docked one mark because the pastry was slightly too thick which gave a little stodginess, but overall this was my favourite pie, so I started on a high. Although £1.89 is quite expensive for Aldi, it was still not the most expensive of the ones I bought.
For what you get, I think it is a bargain.
9/10
Asda
Slow Cooked Steak and Gravy Shortcrust Pastry Pie, 200g, £1.40
Asda’s steak pie was lacklustre. It was just fine, nothing special, but the pastry was a bit hard and bland and the meat did not have much taste.
I would much rather have gone for the slightly more expensive but tastier option of the Aldi pie.
5/10
M&S
Steak Shortcrust Pastry Pie, 200g, £2.10
The M&S pie felt like wasted potential. The meat and sauce inside was absolutely delicious, equivalent of what you might buy at a butchers, but the pastry was just so thick that it was mostly all you tasted per bite.
The best bit of eating this pie was once I had opened it up and could scoop the inside out. With better ratios this could have been the best, but unfortunately it was not.
6/10
Waitrose
Classic Steak Pie, 200g, £2.25
It was the exact same story with the Waitrose pie, which was delicious but just too much pastry. I was desperate to get a taste of the rich goodness in the middle but most of each mouthful was stodge.
It was even more of a shame because the Waitrose pie was the most expensive of any I tried, but I felt it underperformed.
6/10
Lidl
Chef Select Steak and Ale Puff Pastry Pie, 235g, £1.19
Most of the other pies had a redeeming feature in either the pastry or the meat, but the Lidl was bland on both sides. The pie was not bad on its own, but having tasted all the other, better supermarket versions, it fell flat.
The best part about the pie was the pastry. Unlike the others it was a puff pastry which was a welcome change as it was much softer and allowed me to delve into the middle.
Unfortunately, it was not enough to save the pie.
4/10
Sainsbury’s
Steak and Gravy Shortcrust Pastry Pie, 200g, £1.55
The Sainsbury’s pie went the most brown on top which was promising, but that did not translate to crispiness. Despite that, the pie was actually delicious and one of the best mixes of pastry to meat.
The inside had much more of a rich beef flavour and the gravy was yummy. My only criticism was that the pastry went hard rather than soft and crispy, but other than that I was a fan. Plus, it was the cheapest.
7/10
Overall Verdict
Aldi 9/10
Sainsbury’s 7/10
M&S 6/10
Waitrose 6/10
Asda 5/10
Lidl 4/10
Overall, the Aldi pie was my favourite because it had so much herby goodness. I loved the crumbly nature of the pastry and think the whole thing worked together, and it was not even the most expensive.
Gone are the days of assuming the most expensive option must be the best, as the Waitrose steak pie cost a whole £2.55 but actually tasted very average. The second most expensive, too, which was M&S’ steak pie for £2.10, had the exact same issue - too much pastry and not enough filling.
Thank goodness for Aldi!
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