In wintertime there is nothing quite so satisfying as a wonderful meat pie for supper. Pies are one of the most versatile meals and are ideal for entertaining or to bring to a party. There are several types of crust that can be used when making a main course pie; from store-bought flaky pastry, to home made short-crust, or even phyllo pastry.

The six pies featured, are reviewed starting from the top left of the picture and continuing clockwise.

Beef Stew with Phyllo Pastry Crust:
A delicious beef stew with a crispy phyllo crust that can be classed as a stew or a pie - this has long been a family favourite of ours.

Meatloaf with a Pastry Crust:
This recipe elevates basic meatloaf to a delicious classic pie.

Tourtiere:
This is our family's version of the French-Canadian classic. You can substitute left-over Christmas turkey meat for the pork with excellent results (recipe).

Cornish Pasty Pie:
What menu of pies would be complete without Cornish Pasty! You can use this recipe to make the classic individual pasties, or make our large dished pie for ease of preparation.

Melton Mowbray Pie:
The king of pies, as any Englishman will tell you. Strictly speaking, Melton Mowbray pies can only be made in the town of that name. My version has hard-boiled eggs in it which is not strictly in accordance with the original recipe, but this is how I remember it from when I was growing up. This is one pie that tastes better cold and is best made a day ahead.

Shepherd's Pie with Pastry:
A rather interesting variation on the classic Shepherd's Pie that has a crisp pastry crust, enclosing the meat and potato filling. Quite delicious!