With an introduction from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

The golden crust of a warming pie... The flaky first bite into a Cornish pasty... The soft, moreish encasing of a suet pudding... Pastry is the key to the comforting, homely dishes that we all know and love.

In River Cottage Great Pies, Gelf Alderson gives every home cook the tools to reach the heights of pastry greatness with 80 achievable, delicious recipes for every occasion.

With a foundational chapter to build your confidence in the kitchen with core recipes for the most popular pastries - including shortcrust, puff and rough puff, hot water, filo, suet, choux and sweet pastries - these become the basis for your pastry-laden masterpieces. And if you don't have time to make pastry from scratch, don't despair - all the recipes are just as achievable and delicious with shop-bought varieties too.

The chapters that follow give you every kind of pie you could ever hope for, including Veggie Pies, Open Pies and Tarts, Saucy Pies, Raised Pies, Pasties and Sweet Stuff. Here, you'll find recipes for crowd-pleasing classics, from the ultimate quiche and a traditional beef and ale pie, to the much-loved River Cottage pork pie, and even custard tarts.

Whether you need small bites for a buffet or a show-stopping centrepiece for your meal, Great Pies has you covered with reliable recipes for sweet and savoury treats of all kinds, including spanakopita, chicken balti pie and plum, raspberry and hazelnut meringue pie, all rounded out with a chapter on the perfect pie accompaniments - sauces, gravies and custards - so you have everything you need to enjoy mouthwateringly excellent pies time and time again.