I tasted Scotland’s ‘best pie’ and it’ll convert anyone to this classic fish dish

Scots are undeniably a nation with a sweet tooth but we also love a good pie. From a Scotch pie and Bovril at the football to steak pie on new year’s day, we’ve taken the macaroni pie to the masses and created our own, such as chicken curry. What was once a staple of traditional bakers (where we’d also be buying things like empire biscuits, black bun and scotch pancakes), has been taken to new gourmet levels from businesses such as Jarvis Pickle pies, Lochinver Larder, Beefcake and James Pirie & Son of Blairgowrie (who won the 2024 Scotch Pie Championship). One such business is WeeCOOK, which was opened in 2011 by Hayley Wilkes. Having established WeeCOOK Kitchen, Hayley took out a catering lease at Broughty Golf Club and launched the WeeCOOK Restaurant in 2017. It was there that the chef decided to branch out into pies, to minimise leftovers and give pie-loving golfers something to enjoy.

While WeeCOOK offers veggie, meat and vegan pies it’s the fishwife pie that has turned the heads of judges at multiple awards over the years and has even featured on TV - on Channel 4’s Aldi’s Next Big Thing. A change from the traditional fish pie, the WeeCOOK Kitchen Fishwife Pie is packed with Scottish haddock, smoked haddock, salmon and local Arbroath Smokies, bound together in a family recipe of fish stock and parsley sauce.

Award-winning WeeCOOK pies | WeeCOOK

Of her multi-award winning fishwife pie, Ms Wilkes said  “In Scotland there’s a massive pie scene. Meat pies are traditionally very popular here, but our pies are different. Each is hand filled and hand finished. The Fishwife Pie, as a girl growing up in the 90s, is my homage to girl power. It’s not like a normal fisherman’s pie. This is like the sassy, Scottish little sister of the fisherman’s pie – the next gen as it were.”

In 2022 the WeeCOOK fishwife pie won best Fish Pie in Britain at the British Pie Awards, best savoury pie at the World championship Scotch Pie Awards and Young Pie maker of the year award. More recently the pie won best fish product and overall product of the year at the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence awards.

I’m a huge fan of pies - and remember fondly my dad treating us both to a bean and potato pie when I was off school or home at lunchtime - and really appreciate these small businesses breathing new life into a classic Scottish dish. I’m also a huge fan of WeeCOOK’s veggie pies, though I have yet to try the award-winning fishwife pie as it was always sold out at my local farmers’ market. After the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence awards win, I got up early and bought not one but three fishwife pies - and I was not disappointed. The smoky haddock and flaky salmon shone through the slightly lemon zesty sauce that had just a hint of herbs. The thick, buttery pastry was substantial enough to keep the filling in place but not too much. I defy anyone not to love this pie, even those that aren’t sure about fish pies.

To hear more from Hayley and other SFDEA winners, search Scran wherever you get your podcasts.