Beef and Guinness pie is essentially beef and Guinness stew placed into a pastry base and topped with a pastry lid. The pie is baked until it's golden brown and it's known as a perfect dish for cold autumn days. The filling is typically made with beef cubes, mustard powder, oil, onions, celery, carrots, Guinness, beef stock, redcurrant jelly, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme.

It's cooked slowly in order to result in perfectly tender meat. The flavors of Guinness permeate the beef, while the vegetables produce a thick gravy. If there's any leftover gravy after the pie has been baked, it's usually poured into a jug and served with the pie.