Slow-Cooked Beef & Ale Pie

What is it?

Beef pieces slow-cooked in ale sit in a savoury gravy under a puff pastry lid. Sold as a frozen pie for two, it’s built for oven baking rather than microwaving, so the pastry can turn crisp while the filling heats through. Waitrose uses a straightforward pub-style formula here, closer to a classic family pie than the brand’s lighter chilled meals. The filling centres on beef, ale, stock and vegetables, with the pastry doing the work on top and no bottom crust to get in the way. It’s one of the more traditional items in the Waitrose frozen range.