For years the popular chant of "Who ate all the pies?" has rung out from the football terraces.

Well, now the people of Leicester can proudly reply, "We have!" after the city was named the pie-eating capital of Britain.

Leicester's love of all things pastry has seen it knock Wigan – for years synonymous with the meat and potato pie – from the top spot.

According to Tesco, more than 250,000 hot pies were sold in the city over the last 12 months, with the average pie-muncher spending £15.50 a year on the food.

Favourite varieties in Leicester are steak, steak and kidney, chicken and mushroom, minced beef and balti.

Tesco spokeswoman Angela Hughes said: "It seems the people of Leicester have kept their great culinary passion a closely guarded secret over the years but based on sales, local residents in the city are the undisputed pie-eating champs.

"The news may come as a bit of a blow to Wigan, which prides itself as the pie capital of the UK and even holds an annual pie-eating contest.

"However as far as sales goes, then you have to go to Leicester to find the true champions.

"Pies have become increasingly trendy. While they were once thought of as merely a snack, they are now eaten as part of a balanced core meal with vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and potatoes."

Tesco's figures follow a 7 per cent rise in pie sales in the last year across all UK retailers, with the nation's pie market currently worth £235 million.

City resident and shop assistant Mark Prouse, 25, said: "I do love pies but I usually only have them when I go and watch Leicester City. It's like a right of passage, before I go to my seat I'll have a pie. You can't beat steak and kidney."

Ryan Murrant, 32, of Market Harborough, likes pies so much he started a Facebook campaign calling for Pukka Pies to introduce a Piri-Piri filling in honour of Leicester's new boss, Paulo Sousa.

He said: "I love pies, but I only really have them when I go and watch City.

"My favourite is the balti pie, which I'm told is the most popular in football grounds.

"I think it's great that we're the pie capital. If someone has to have that honour then it's fantastic that we have it."

Ian Shaw, 46, of Hamilton, said: "My wife normally does one most weeks. They fill you up and don't take a lot of effort to cook so that's probably why we have them so often.

"I'm not sure about Leicester being the pie capital though, it makes us sound like we're all fat."

David Jenkins, 34, who works in the city, said: "My favourite is chicken and mushroom but I prefer to have pies as pudding. You can't beat apple pie after a Sunday roast."

Syston-based Pukka Pies, which makes more than 60 million each year, said it was pleased to hear the people of Leicester loved its product.

Peter Mayes, marketing and business development controller, said: "The award comes as no surprise to us as we are well aware of Leicestershire's appetite for pies.

"We do know that the sales percentage figures at Leicester City FC, where our pies are sold, is one of the highest of any football club in Britain."