Seriously, forget Greggs, Sayers and Greenhalghs - it's Galloways all the way! (Sorry for the…read morebun... er, pun). This particular Galloways outlet is located in the historic Wiend, close to the train station, the church, the Face of Wigan, and the shopping centre. Their chicken and sweetcorn pastry is a work of art: tasty, well-baked, not too flaky, and hot in just the right way! And Venice fingers somehow restored in me the faith in British cakes and bakery. If I could, I'd try every single cake there, but I had to limit myself to this Italianate piece of confectionery. Highly recommended!

This is a bit of a silly one really, but I am fascinated by the amount of press certain businesses…read morecan receive on Yelp! and like to give shout outs to less known/cared about places. As a southerner, I had to be introduced to 'proper' pies by the boyf (who is from Wigan, hence the change of scenery from Manchester) and Galloways is our traditional pit stop before or after getting the train in or out of Wigan Wallgate. The ladies here are always lovely and the food is always hot. Now, I say this because Gregg's, your high street version of these smaller bakeries, often serves me up cold sausage rolls and lacklustre pasties which leave me feeling, quite honestly, a bit sad. Galloways pies always fill me up and leave me feeling warm inside, as if I become more northern with every bite. I have always gone for the meat&potato here, which I am assured is the most Wigan option, in order to hide the fact I am obviously not from round 'ere. I liked pies before I went to Wigan, but now I love them, and make sure to have one from Galloways every time I go. Healthy lifestyle, me? Of course. A small review for a small place, but nonetheless a place to go and refuel if anyone happens to venture into Wigan.

I recently visited Wigan with my two young kids as part of a whistlestop train trip around the…read moreNorth West. As we were pushed for time we opted for a quick take out lunch and as we all know Pound Bakery very well we decided it would be a safe bet. And true enough it was just like every other branch we've visited offering decent enough food at bargain prices. I personally felt a bit disappointed that we'd been to Wigan and missed the opportunity to try a genuine Wigan pie but my Pound Bakery pasties filled a gap.

This is a village bakery in Ramsbottom, selling bread, cakes, pies, sandwiches, soups and hot food…read moretoo. The cakes are lovely and I particularly like them as some of them seem to be home made, like I used to have when I was little. The bread is fresh everyday and I visit daily to stock up. I also like the pork dinky pies, which we have at week-end. There is alot of meat inside, they are not just all pastry. The staff are helpful and courteous and I never have to queue. Parking is difficult as it is on the main road, you have to park on a side street. Recommended.

I absolutely love Greggs, much more than I do Sayers…read more The reason I lover Greggs more than anywhere else is because their pastries are much more tastier, puffier and crisp. I always buy their pasties to munch on for lunch in a hurry. Put simply, I love every one of their pies, each one having that succulent and meaty filling, freshly baked and at reasonable prices. Sometimes their pasties are cold after lying around for a while but usually they are at least warm. I'm not a lover of sandwiches or cakes but they do sell a wide range of buns, drinks, crisps, and butties in addition to the named. If you're lucky enough to visit at the right time, you can get hot baguettes with various fillings - I'm not a big fan but for others, they seem quite popular. If I were to buy a cake, then I would suggest the lemon muffin - it has a nice moist sponge and has a crunchy top. Greggs is the place to go for satisfying fast-served lunch. You can't go wrong with a good ole steak or chicken pasty.

If there's one shop you can guarantee you'll find in every city or town, it's a Greggs or at the…read morevery least, a Sayers. I hate how popular Greggs is now, mainly because I dislike their pasties and sausage rolls, especially compared to what Sayers has to offer. So imagine my delight when, just next door to my arch nemesis Greggs, I stumbled across Greenhalghs Craft Bakery in Ormskirk. This large bakery sells similar stuff to Greggs and Sayers, offering their customers an excellent selection of savoury items including sausage rolls, pasties and delicious pies as well as bread, cakes, soups and sandwiches. They also do celebration cakes that are beautifully designed as well as offering a buffet service for any special occasion you might have coming up. The shop itself is bright and clean-looking and the staff there are polite and friendly, meaning any experience in Greenhalgh's is always pleasant. Their pies in particular are perfectly crumbly and filled with good quality fillings that are always just the right temperature to enable you to quickly devour them.

Pilkingtons is a very popular local bakery in Stockport and having passed it a few times I finally…read moremade it in after hearing about their 'dinky pies' which sounded adorable. Unfortunately they are so adorable they are too small for my greedy self so I went for a still extremely cheap (£2 ish) chicken curry and steak & onion pies. You can get these warm to take away which is cool. Pastries looked decent too. A great little stop off for a fast bite in the area.

If you're adding 'Great' to your company name then you've definitely got to live up to the…read moreexpectations; and these guys absolutely do so. They were Supreme Champion at the British Pie Awards in 2015 - I think they should seriously consider changing their moniker to Supreme North Pie Co. after that. You may have seen their stall at various markets around the north, from Northwich to Urmston and West Didsbury, selling their wares to the public. They also occasionally feature at festivals; I was over the moon to see them at Festival No. 6 in Portmeirion. They've a permanent unit at food-hall-heaven Market House in Altrincham, where you can order pie, mash and gravy and enjoy THE BEST pies of your lives. Their Wagyu Beef & Onion pie was truly fantastic - a must dish for the autumn months. I'd kill to learn their gravy recipe!

Greater Manchester is famous for its meat pies and the Great North Pie company can stake (or…read moresteak?) a claim to being one of the area's best pie makers. (I know that not because I've sampled all the pies of the world but because they have an impressive display of gold medals awarded by folk who have.) They have a stall at Altrincham market to buy pies to take home. But they also have a separate space in the Market Hall where you can get your pie delivered to your table. You can add mash and gravy if you want to make a meal of it. Pie choices include cheese and onion, chicken and mushroom, minced beef and onion, and steak and ale. It was hard to choose, but I went for the steak and ale, with mash and gravy. I wasn't sure I made the right choice when it came out: the mashed potato looked a little watery and the pie crust a little too well done. But the mash was fine, the gravy delicious, and the pie was truly scrumptious. The crust was firm but not tough, containing a delicious stew of juicy steak chunks in a thick beer gravy. I washed it down with a fine ale from Jack in the Box, on the other side of the hall. Eating my pie in the beautiful and historic surroundings of the Market Hall only added to the Great North Experience.

Galloways Bakers in St. Helens town centre offers a delightful variety of cakes, pies and pasties…read moreto tempt you hungry lot. It certainly tempted me and so I bought a sausage roll and strawberry tart to munch on. As for the sausage roll, it was delicious being warm and moist on the inside with a crisp puff pastry on the outside; a perfect combination for a lovely sausage roll. The tart was exquisite with good quality cream, balanced with a mellow sweetness and a crunchy outer texture. I found the sausage roll in particular to be better than Sayers and equally good as Greggs although prices are a touch higher. However, Galloways is a superb bakery that sells a luscious range of mouth-watering cakes and excellent pastries. The window display and bold sign is more than enough to draw you in for any passer by! I would definitely re-visit. A top notch bakery.