SWEET or short, flaky or crisp, there are few foods in the world so satisfying as pastry.

Filled with melt-in-the-mouth beef steak or spicy pork, or crammed with tart apple or sweet cherries, pies are the ultimate comfort food - and darn convenient too.

"A pie has got everything you need in it, " says North Yorkshire pie maker Anthony Sterne.

What's more, he says, pies are good for you.

"Pies have built up a bit of a bad name through people putting rubbish in them, " says Anthony. "But if you make them with good quality, lean meat and lots of fresh vegetables, they are great."

But what about all that butter in the pastry? "Butter is a good form of fat, full of calcium and nutrients, " he says.

His assertion that home-made is best forms the basis of his successful business, I'spies, which turns out traditional hand-made pies with a twist.

Anthony, a former development chef for Pret A Manger, uses innovative ingredients and flavours to revolutionise the reputation of the pie.

Recipes include Moroccan lamb and Yorkshire feta with spinach and there is a new meat pie and a veggie variety every season.

"We'll have a haggis, neeps and tatties pie for winter, " said Anthony.

Anthony sells his pies across the country as well as in a few regional Waitrose stores (nearest one is Harrogate). In York, they are on sale at the Farmer's Cart, the Balloon Tree and Elvington Village Store, where you can also buy the I'spies ready-rolled puff pastry.

Anthony says: "That's great because we have done all the work for you and all it contains is Yorkshire flour, Yorkshire butter, natural sea salt and water."

For anyone keen to make their own pies, Anthony has some advice.

"It's very important to chill things in the fridge. It's the change in temperature of the pie going from cold to hot that makes it very light, " he says.

He advises against chilling the pastry in the fridge immediately. "That makes it a lot harder to work with. What is crucial is that once the pie is made, put it in the fridge to chill before popping it in the oven."

His other top tip is to use butter.

"Butter makes the best-tasting pastry.

But lots of people like shortness you get from using lard or vegetable fat, which gives a light, crumbly texture. If so, it's good to use a mix of butter and lard or vegetable fat as well."

Lee Bell turns out hundreds of homemade pies each week from his family butcher's shop in Middlethorpe Grove, Dringhouses, York.

Former Yorkshire pie champion Lee says the secret of success is to make everything by hand and use quality ingredients.

When making a pork pie, a hot-water pastry is essential. "It gives a crumbly texture which is perfect for pork pies, " he says.

Any other tips? "Use quality meat. It's all in the taste. Also, don't overdo it with salt in the pastry, which can sacrifice the flavour of the meat."

As with everything, if at first you don't succeed, try again.

"Have a few goes to find the right combination, " says Lee. "Add a bit more or a bit less marg, or more or less flour, salt or water until you get it just right.

The pastry is so important: too much flour or water and it will break down, too little and it will be too thick and solid."

If you are tempted to have a go at piemaking, your first ingredient should be Angela Boggiano's new book. Simply called Pie (Cassell Illustrated, £20), it's a delicious 190-page guide to pastry and pie making.

Chapters include the basic rules of pastry as well as recipes for sweet and savoury pies and fancier creations for special occasions.

It begins with a brief history of the humble pie, revealing that this fine old British culinary institution dates back to Ancient Egypt.

Originally the pastry was never eaten but used as a container. It was the Brits who made pastry with suet and fat rather than oil, which made it finer and more delicate and - thankfully - edible.

Author and cook Angela said: "I think pie is the greatest invention ever, but maybe that's because I'm a bit of a pie obsessive."

An aim of the book, she said, was to remove the fear many people had around making pastry.

"Pie making is not something to be scared of, " said Angela. "I want everybody to make pies and create a new generation of pie makers."