PIE and chips, pie and peas, pie and mash.

The pie has been a British favourite for decades – but which one is THE favourite?

This week is International Pie Week - yes there is such a thing - and new research has revealed the nation’s best-loved pies.

So here are the findings:

• Cottage pie ties with chicken pie as favourites across the UK (both 31 per cent)

• Chicken pie is the favourite in England (33 per cent compared with shepherd’s on 32 per cent).

• Steak pie came out top in Scotland (33 per cent)

• Cottage pie is the favourite in Wales (38 per cent) and Northern Ireland (35 per cent)

• The much-loved apple pie came third (16 per cent)

Not a traditional pastry-topped pie in appearance, cottage pie is a type of savory pie made with minced meat, with mashed potato on top. Originating from the UK and Ireland, the dish is now popular worldwide.

The name cottage pie was first used at the end of the 18th century. It was around that time that the poorer people of Britain who lived in cottages in the country, started using potatoes as an everyday food.

Originally, a pie made with any kind of meat and mashed potato was called a cottage pie.

Shepherd's pie is often confused with cottage pie. The dish is usually called cottage pie if it is made with beef and shepherd’s pie If it is made with lamb. Shepherd’s pie is an Irish speciality. Both

Whether it’s a traditional pie down at a country pub, a lovingly homemade pie or a pre-packed pie wolfed down at the football, the pie is one of the UK’s favourite dishes and celebrated annually from March 2 - March 8, before traditional ‘Pi Day’ on March 14.

The research, by Leeds-based media agency Blueclaw (blueclaw.co.uk) used BBC Good Food’s favourites recipes and Google trends data. It showed that out of searches in the UK for pie recipes (using the most popular recipes as voted for by users), across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the cottage pie and chicken pie accounts for 62 per cent of searches, while the apple pie is searched for by 16 per cent of users.

As it’s International Pie Week, get fire up the oven and get that pie in. Chuck in a few Yorkshire puds and you’re sorted.