Tenderflake survey reveals Canada’s favourite pies

June 13, 2012, Toronto – Tenderflake set out to uncover Canada's
favourite pie and in the process found some surprising facts about
Canadians and their love of pie.

June 13, 2012, Toronto – Tenderflake set out to uncover Canada's favourite pie and in the process found some surprising facts about Canadians and their love of pie. Apple pie won out as the favourite, voted for by 17 per cent of Canadians and closely followed by lemon meringue at 14 per cent. Pecan (10 per cent), blueberry (10 per cent) and pumpkin (8 per cent) rounded out the top five sweet pies.
 
“From easy-to-make apple pocket pies at picnics to a good old-fashioned apple crumble pie at a barbecue, apple pie is certain to be a crowd favourite this Canada Day,” says Kelly Gervin, vice-president – marketing, Maple Leaf Foods.
 
While apple pie may be an obvious choice, some of the items Canadians are pairing with their favourite pies are much more unique. Four per cent of Canadians who favour lemon meringue pie like to put cheese on it. Even less traditional, two per cent of blueberry pie fans enjoy it with peanut butter, two per cent of those who favour pumpkin pie like it with some hot sauce, and two per cent who prefer savoury shepherd’s pie or tourtière choose to have it with ice cream.  Not surprisingly, the most popular pie partner is ice cream, with half of Canadians (51 per cent) saying this is their favourite accompaniment to a sweet dessert pie.
 
Tenderflake’s survey showed:

• Canadians have a sweet tooth when it comes to pie. Three-quarters (76 per cent) prefer a dessert pie to a savoury pie.
• Shepherd’s pie is the preference in the savoury category, with three in ten Canadians (27 per cent) naming this their favourite. Other popular savoury flavours include chicken pot pie (25 per cent) and tourtiére (22 per cent).
• Those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are most likely in the country to favour apple pie (28 per cent versus 17 per cent nationally), but they are also most likely to prefer savoury pie to a dessert pie (31 per cent vs. 24 per cent nationally).
• Respondents from Atlantic Canada are most likely to enjoy lemon meringue pie (31 per cent versus 14 per cent nationally).
• British Columbians are the most likely in the country to favour blueberry pie (14 per cent versus 10 per cent nationally) and shepherd’s pie (33 per cent versus 27 per cent nationally).
• Albertans are the most likely in the country to prefer cherry pie (12 per cent versus eight per cent nationally) and a savoury chicken pot pie (38 per cent versus 25 per cent)
• Quebecers are the most likely in the country to prefer a sweet pie (83 per cent versus 76 per cent nationally), pecan pie (15 per cent versus 10 per cent nationally) and tourtière (50 per cent versus 22 per cent nationally)
• Quebecers are also the most likely to enjoy ice cream with their sweet pie (59 per cent versus 51 per cent nationally) and ketchup with their savoury pie (61 per cent versus 32 per cent nationally)
• Ontarians are the most likely to add hot sauce to their savoury pie (12 per cent versus eight per cent nationally)