Poole’s Pies has seen an 11% increase in its year-on-year pie sales this summer, as the wet weather drives consumers towards comfort food.

The firm said that the pie-eating season had come early, with people ditching barbecues and salads in favour of pies.

Neil Court-Johnston, managing director of the Wigan-based firm, said: “The warmer months tend to be the pie industry’s quiet period, but with Britain continuing to face one of its worst-ever summers this year, sales are at an all-time high as people prefer to tuck into warm, comforting and familiar dishes, rather than risk lighting up the barbecue when the rain may come at any time.

“And it’s not just Poole’s which is experiencing these positive results, with a number of retailers, including Waitrose, reporting dramatic increases in sales for winter warmers such as soup, biscuits and pies.”