ABINGDON residents are feeling as nice as pie after making it into the country’s top 10 for pie-eating.

People in the town scoff their way through 180,000 a year, putting them 10th in the country according to a survey by Tesco.

Leicester topped the table with 256,000 sold every year.

The pie market has seen a seven per cent rise in sales across the UK and is now worth £235m per year.

Q Gardens Farm Shop in Steventon says pies fly off the shelves and they have had to hire more staff.

Manager Clare Whidborne said: “It does surprise me Abingdon is right up there as one of the biggest places for pies as it is a small area.

“You would normally think of stereo-typical northern towns and larger towns for selling more of them.

“Our pies are particularly popular and we have noticed it is a growing area.

“We have taken on extra people because they are in so much demand.

“We have extended our range and they are selling well. Plain steak is probably our most popular.

“How many we sell depends on the weather. When it is cold sales go up and we can sell more than 100 a week.”

Although the pie can be associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, Miss Whidborne said that was not necessarily always the case. “All our pies are made on-site and we use fresh ingredients,” she added.

“The pastry in a pie is the most fattening part, but pies can generally be relatively healthy as part of a balanced diet.”

Tesco spokesman Angela Hughes said: “Far better ingredients are now used.

“The bully beef steak or poor quality chicken in tasteless gravy has now been replaced by far better quality tender meat, finer vegetables and sauces with more delicate pastry.”