Life of Pie - The average Brit eats a whopping 2,160 pies over their adult lifetime, according to a study

Researchers found we consume a huge amount of pastry over the years, and typically chowing down on at least 36 pies every year. It also emerged the nation’s favourite pie is the classic beef and ale - but proving we still have a sweet tooth, apple pie came in second place. This was closely followed by chicken and mushroom and steak and kidney, with lemon meringue revealed as another of the our favourite dessert pies. The research was commissioned by Jus-Rol to celebrate the start of British Pie Week next week (4th to 10th of March). To mark the occasion Jus-Rol teamed with food artist Prudence Staite to create iconic scenes and depictions from around the UK – made entirely from pies. The series of seven art pieces which took 700 painstaking hours to make and place 1,800 individually handmade cooked and uncooked pies per image used a whopping 70 kg of Jus-Rol Shortcrust, Puff and Filo pastry. Spokeswoman for Jus-Rol, Holly Bouldin, said: “The humble beef and ale pie has been a true British classic for as long as we can remember, but it’s surprising to see some dessert pastries so high up in the list. “Other British pie classics – including chicken and mushroom, beef mince and chicken and leek – also made the list of melt-in-your-mouth fillings. “The research shows that whether sweet or savoury, Brits can enjoy a good pie during any occasion – and it turns out very few would turn down the chance to eat one of these tasty pastry dishes.” The study, carried out by One Poll, also found that Northern Ireland chomps its way through more pies than anyone else in Britain, with one in 10 consuming six pies every month, compared to a national average of three per month. They are followed by Londoners and those in the North East as the most avid pie eaters, with one in seven eating four pies a month in both areas. When it comes to dusting off the rolling pins and making pies at home, Northern Ireland came out on top – baking on average two pies a month. However, 60 per cent admitted they don’t even use a rolling pin – with one in 10 opting for a wine bottle to smooth out their pastry. Many Brits even go free-style and simply use their hands to stretch out that pastry, with one in 10 from the South West most likely to adopt this method. Other popular, ingenious alternatives to the rolling pin include fizzy drinks cans, milk bottles, thermos flasks and even tall drinking glasses. Bouldin said: “Founded back in 2007 by Jus-Rol, British Pie Week aims to inspire the nation to celebrate one of the greatest British classic foods. ''We wanted to pay tribute to that love by creating images out of pies that reflect various areas of the UK.” “And these survey results reveal the true depth of the nation’s feelings towards pies. I’m astounded by the amount of pie we do actually eat, particularly the Northern Irish.” * Jus-Rol are running a contest to challenge the country to bake the iconic flavours and ingredients of their region into a newly created pie. To enter, send an image and the recipe to www.jusrol.co.uk/britishpieweek for a chance to win £5,000. Competition closes at midnight on Sunday 10th March. The nation’s favourite pie: 1. Beef and Ale 2. Apple 3. Chicken and Mushroom4. Steak and Kidney5. Lemon Meringue 6. Beef mince7. Apple and Blackberry8. Chicken and Leek9. Chicken and ham hock10. Beef and Red Wine