There are plenty of staple British dishes that hold the nation’s heart and never fail as a weeknight meal – and one of those is cottage pies. But if you don’t have the time to rustle up the dish from scratch, you can rely on a ready meal to save the day.
![[Supermarket cottage pie voted 'better than Charlie Bigham's' and it costs just ?4 Bistro Asda]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235625322-2d3c.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=640)
Undecided on which one to settle on? Which? has saved shoppers from trying them all themselves. In a bid to determine the nation’s favourite cottage pie, they assembled a panel of 66 people who tried 10 different brands – from supermarket own brands to bigger brands.
![[Supermarket cottage pie voted 'better than Charlie Bigham's' and it costs just ?4 Bistro Asda]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_235625271-8035.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
These included Asda, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Charlie Bigham, and Cathedral City. The cottage pies were tested in December 2024, and each brand was given a score based on flavour (50%), aroma (20%), appearance (20%) and texture (10%). Surprisingly, it was Bistro by Asda Cottage pie (£4 for 400g) that came out victorious with an overall score of 77%.
The panel rated the pie highly for appearance, aroma and texture, with the dish earning top marks for all three. More than three-quarters were impressed with the flavour of the mince, and most thought it had ‘just the right ratio of potato to mince’.
Which? notes: ‘As well as impressing on taste, it’s also one of the cheaper ready meals we tested, showing you don’t have to splash out for a top-notch pie.’. In joint second place were Aldi’s Specially Selected Gastro Cottage Pie, Cathedral City Cottage Pie and Charlie Bigham’s Cottage Pie – which all scored 75%.
