MARKS & Spencer have given Scotland’s favourite pie a middle class makeover – that’s not winning universal approval.
The firm is selling a 200 gram pie for a pricey £3 and renamed the Mac ‘n’ Cheese & Bacon Pie.
The 656-calorie creation, as its name suggests, contains macaroni cheese, smoked bacon and a crumble topping.
But fans and makers of the classic macaroni pie, who rarely pay more than £1.20 for the treat, claim M&S is an “expensive luxury”.
The macaroni pie, made with Scotch pie crust, is such a favourite north of the border that there was a campaign to save it when bakers Greggs announced they were no longer making them.
Alan Clarke, Cheif Exectuive at Scottish Bakers, has said at “£3 it is a luxury” and pie lovers can find a cheaper alternative at their local bakery.
He said: “At £3 it is a luxury and if a customers visits their local baker they will find that they don’t need to pay anywhere near that to enjoy this cheesy delight!”
“The macaroni pie is an iconic Scottish product produced by bakers from Stranraer to Shetland, many of whom are family businesses that have been passed down from generation to generation.
“There are traditionalists who will believe that a macaroni pie should be a traditional recipe only but the Renaissance that we have seen recently in baking and traditional foods mean that many bakers are taking traditional recipes and adding a modern twist”
A spokesman for The Piemaker in Edinburgh, which sells over 100 of the savoury treat daily, believes there isn’t any room for the new M&S pie.
He said: “It’s a very popular pie, we sell over 100 per day and our 200g pie, which is a standard size, is only £1.20.
“I haven’t tried it yet but I would say no, there isn’t a place for the M&S pie, keep it original.”
Stobbs the Bakery, in Ayrshire, won the bronze award in the vegetarian savoury category at the Scottish Pie Championships for their macaroni pie in 2016.
Owner Umberto Gilardi believes the new pie is quite expensive.
Mr Gilardi said: “That’s quite expensive for a macaroni pie, compared with what we serve. I don’t know if there’s a place for it in Scotland. ”
However, Matt Dawson, pie product developer at M&S, said the new “Mac ‘n’ cheese pie is a “trully indulgent treat.”
He said: “Mac ‘n’ cheese is the ultimate in comfort food and we’ve taken it a step further by putting it in a pie for a truly indulgent treat.
“It’s a first on the high street and we’re sure customers are going to love it as much as we do!”
High street bakery chain Greggs axed the savoury snack from its menu causing mass outrage across the country.
A celebrity backed campaign was launched to save the much loved lunch time treat, with Still Game’s Sanjiv Kohli backing the return of the pie.
The issue was also discussed at First Ministers Questions when Nicola Sturgeon admitted she was “not a lover of the macaroni pie”, but said she had been lobbied by her father to join the campaign.
However, Greggs stuck by its decision, saying: “Unfortunately over recent years it had become the smallest selling line from our savoury counters in Scotland.”
