Butcher ranks his top five pies and explains what makes them so good

The butchers in Pattingham in South Staffordshire has won awards and been recognised across the country and Europe for its pies, with people coming from across the UK to get their favourites.

As part of National Pie Week, Craig Thomas, who is the sixth generation of the family to work at the butchers, has detailed what he and customers believe to be the top five pork pies, as well as what makes them special.

At Number Five, the Pork and Apricot pie: Craig Thomas said: "What makes this pie special is the variety of flavours and you can taste the range of that between the sweet and savoury."

At Number Four, the Pork and Black Pudding pie: A nice combination of the pink seasoned meat and pastry and the tangy taste of the award-winning black pudding

At Number Three, the Pork and Pickle pie: Craig Thomas: "It's a rich combination of the meat and the pickle which produces a strong flavour and is very popular."

At Number Two, the Pork and Pancetta pie: The acclaimed pie sees the pork pie mixture wrapped in pancetta before being encased in the pastry. Craig Thomas: "You get the contrast between the meat and the flavour of the pancetta when you bite in."

And at Number One, the regular Pork Pie: A standard classic which has won awards in the past. Made from scratch and placed inside the pastry as it cools to produce a rich and seasoned flavour. Craig Thomas: "The pies we do are all liked by the customers, but the traditional pie is always a winner and is very popular."