Football Pie Connoisseur - The Final Rankings
The time has finally arrived! Over the past six weeks, our Football Pie Connoisseur has been eating and rating football meat pies across the country.
For those who are unaware, back in November, we held a competition to select one keen football fan to review football pies at each stadium they visited on away days (from November to mid-January).
All their travel and football pie costs would be paid for; in return, all we needed was a written review and ranking based on the following categories:
- Pastry quality
- Filling quality
- Temperature
- Value for money
- Presentation
The honour of this role went to Ian Coulton from Wigan, who has a long association with pie-related contests, having won the World Pie-eating Competition in both 2013 and 2023. As an avid supporter of Wigan Athletic FC (a team and town strongly associated with pies), Ian was the perfect candidate to take on the role of Football Pie Connoisseur.
Ian visited a total of five clubs on his journey: Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, Burton Albion, Cardiff City and Doncaster Rovers, so without further ado, here is the definitive list of the best football ground pies…
Football Pies – The Full Rankings
Huddersfield Town – 13/12/2025 – Meat and potato pie
Ian began his adventure up in West Yorkshire, where Wigan Athletic took on the Terriers in a competitive 1-1 draw. Discussing the meat and potato pie he sampled at the ground, Ian commented:
“There was a good combination of flavours when I tasted the pastry and filling together – with tender chunks of potato mix with meat and at a perfect temperature. The golden brown colour of the pastry was clearly there and so added to the quality (taste). The pastry was a little soggy at the bottom but otherwise could not really fault the pie. Upon receiving the pie, the presentation was a tidy one. Overall, a good pie.”
- Pastry quality – 4/5
- Filling quality – 5/5
- Temperature – 5/5
- Value for money – 4/5
- Presentation – 4/5
Total pie score – 22/25
Bradford City – 26/12/2025 – Meat and potato pie
Next up for Ian was another trip to Yorkshire, and another meat and potato pie to consume.
Wigan fell to a 2-1 loss in this fixture; let’s see if the pie made up for the result.
It certainly did! Ian says that this pie was:
“One of the best pies I’ve had in recent years. The pie had a smooth, creamy texture, including plenty of pepper, and the pastry combined nicely with the filling. The temperature was just right – the last bite was as warm as the first. Presentation, I could not fault it, the pie had a very smooth lid, as good a pie as you can get.”
- Pastry quality – 5/5
- Filling quality – 5/5
- Temperature – 5/5
- Value for money – 4/5
- Presentation – 5/5
Total pie score – 24/25
Burton Albion – 29/12/2025 – Chicken balti pie
Next came a trip down to East Staffordshire, where Wigan beat the Brewers 2-1. This time, Ian had a chicken balti pie to review, commenting that:
“The crust did not crumble in any way. The chicken balti blend was average, and it wasn’t exactly exploding with filling. However, the temperature remained good while I ate it. The pie’s presentation was reasonable, but the design on top of the lid could have been better. It looked like it had been put together in a rush. Not the best, but also not the worst pie I have ever eaten.”
- Pastry quality – 4/5
- Filling quality – 3/5
- Temperature – 4/5
- Value for money – 4/5
- Presentation – 4/5
Total pie score – 19/25
Cardiff City – 04/01/2026 – Minced beef pie
On the next leg of his journey, Ian landed in South Wales to sample Cardiff City’s minced beef pie. The game ended in a 1-0 win for Cardiff, but the real verdict came from Ian’s taste test:
“This pie had a firm crust, a high, top crust and a decent layer of filling. This pie warmed me up in the winter weather, and I felt that what I had eaten was definitely worthwhile. The pie was presented nicely; it had a smooth, golden-brown pastry, and it had a smooth lid. It felt more like a meal than a snack. I would certainly eat this pie again.”
- Pastry quality – 4/5
- Filling quality – 5/5
- Temperature – 5/5
- Value for money – 4/5
- Presentation – 5/5
Total pie score – 23/25
Doncaster Rovers – 24/01/2026 – Chicken balti pie
The last leg of Ian’s pie eating odyssey was a third and final trip back to Yorkshire, where Ian consumed another chicken balti pie. While the match ended in an exhilarating 3-3 draw, could the pie deliver the same thrill? Ian commented:
“A good and tasty flavoured pie at a perfect temperature (hot). The pastry had a firm and smooth lid, it was a bit soggy on the bottom, but the presentation was reasonable. The chicken balti taste lasted in my mouth, as all good pie fillings do, so it definitely made it worthwhile eating. An enjoyable pie.”
- Pastry quality – 4/5
- Filling quality – 5/5
- Temperature – 5/5
- Value for money – 4/5
- Presentation – 4/5
Total pie score – 22/25
The Final Verdict
This leaves the final ranking of football ground pies as follows:
- 1st Bradford City – Meat and potato pie – 24/25
- 2nd Cardiff City – Minced beef pie – 23/25
- 3rd tied Doncaster Rovers – Chicken balti pie – 22/25
- 3rd tied Huddersfield Town – Meat and potato pie – 22/25
- 5th Burton Albion – Chicken balti pie – 19/25
Discussing the overall experience, Ian had this to say:
“My experience as the Football Pie Connoisseur was brilliant. I had a very interesting and enjoyable time. I have been eating pies for 40+ years now, and I am still enjoying them. The meat and potato Pukka Pie at Bradford City sticks out as a highlight and would definitely be worth having again.
My favourite away day trip was to Cardiff City in early January. The Cardiff City Stadium is a brilliant stadium for a League One side. There were limited choices for a pie to taste, as they only offered two fillings, but the minced beef pie was a very good experience. Overall, the pies I have eaten were of a very good standard.
If the opportunity arose to be the Football Pie Connoisseur again, I would happily take part. It was a fantastic experience. I would just like to thank BestNewBingoSites for the opportunity. I have enjoyed every moment of the competition, and I can’t think of a better job than getting paid to eat pie.”
Wrapping Up the Football Pie Journey
We would like to thank Ian for his commitment to the role of Football Pie Connoisseur and for delivering such fantastically detailed insights on each football ground pie he ate.
We would also like to thank all of you who have followed along with Ian’s travels over the last six weeks – an adventure that has included long journeys, edge-of-your-seat matches, and, of course, delicious pies!
For more matchday fun, you can try out our free printable Premier League bingo cards, where you can compete in challenges with your friends whilst watching the games. To stay ahead of your team’s latest fixtures, you can also check out the best football betting sites to see stats, odds and predictions on how a match might play out.
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