Place the flour in a large bowl and season with pepper, cut the beef into 2.5cm cubes and toss well in the flour until evenly coated. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan and add the meat in small batches and brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Thinly slice the onions and chop the carrot into cubes then fry gently for about 2 minutes. Return the beef to the pan with the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, ale, stock and sugar. Grind in plenty of black pepper, stir well and bring to the boil.

Cover, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened and is glossy. Remove from the heat, place into a 1.5 litre deep pie dish and leave to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of about 3mm, cut a 2cm wide strip from the rolled-out pastry. Brush the rim of the pie dish with water and place the strip around the rim, pressing it down. Sit a pie funnel in the centre if using.

Cut out the remaining pastry about 2.5cm larger than the dish. Place the pastry lid over the top and press down and seal the edges. Trim off excess pastry and crimp the edges with a fork. Brush the top with beaten egg and make a hole in the centre. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

Meanwhile, put a large saucepan of water on to boil, once boiling, add the shredded cabbage and boil until tender. Drain off the water and serve with the pie.