With Christmas only weeks away, mince pie season is truly upon us with every supermarket putting forward their offerings.
Some have gone with classic mincemeat recipes whereas others have opted for more experimental variations – but in every case, the festive spirit is in the air with every bite.
And consumer group Which? have tasked an expert panel to give their verdicts on which ones you should be popping into your shopping basket, and which ones are best left on the shelf.
The judge line-up was made up of four baking experts: Bake Off: The Professionals 2022 winner Nathan Rave, Great British Bake Off 2010 winner Edd Kimber, award winning baker and food writer Dan Lepard and pastry chef and author Shaheen Peerbhai.
This year, they were in charge of awarding Which?’s Best Buy and Great Value endorsements – which are only given ‘to the very best products, based on its independent tests’.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: ‘For many of us, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a mince pie. There’s nothing quite like that buttery and fruity taste to get you in the festive spirit.
‘Our experts tasted premium mince pies from the biggest UK supermarkets to discover which ones could make this holiday season a little more special without stretching the budget too far.’
When looking at the pies, the culinary savants wanted ones with an attractive golden appearance and a rich, buttery, well-baked pastry. Also desired was a flavoursome filling with a good balance of fruit and spices.
Here, FEMAIL looks at how the supermarket selection this year fared…
WHICH? BEST BUY RECCOMENDATION
Waitrose No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac
£4 for six, 67p per pie
The winning selection of this year’s blind taste test for Which?’s expert panel were an offering from Waitrose – and earned a Best Buy recommendation.
‘The winning pies impressed with lovely pastry, an enticing aroma and generous nut, spice and citrus filling, with a subtle boozy warmth,’ the consumer group said.
‘They also had a traditional homemade look that the experts appreciated.’
Waitrose’s website says: ‘Our No. 1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac are a luxurious twist on the traditional treat.
‘Brown butter gives the pastry a deliciously nutty flavour that perfectly complements a rich mincemeat made with glacé Amarena cherries, almonds and apricots, and laced with Cognac.’
WHICH? GREAT VALUE ENDORSEMENT
Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies
£2.29 for six, 38p per pie
These ‘impressed the judges with their great buttery taste, snowflake design and tasty filling packed with fruit and spices’.
The pies are ‘infused with brandy, dry cider and ruby port for a rich, deep flavour’.
‘At £2.29 for six or 38p per pie, they were one of the cheapest on test and are an affordable crowd-pleaser this Christmas, earning a Which? Great Value endorsement,’ the consumer group said.
The endorsement, chosen by product experts, looks for options which ‘not only deliver impressive performance, but also come at a budget-friendly price – at least 20 per cent cheaper than the average cost’.
Consumer group Which? have tasked an expert panel to give their verdicts on which ones you should be popping into your shopping basket, and which ones are best left on the shelf. Stock image used
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
While not everything got Which?’s Best Buy badge, the organisation still recommends these tasty treats for your festive spread…
M&S Collection Mince Pies
£4 for six
These ‘impressed the judges with their generous filling and golden pastry’.
However, while one member of the panel praised the crisp pastry and ‘subtle sweetness’, another wanted ‘more spice’.
Iceland’s Luxury All Butter Mince Pies
£3 for six
This supermarket’s mince pies got good reviews for their ‘packed fillings of sultana and fruit’.
However, they fell flat when it came to the virality of flavour.
The expert panel felt that these were ‘too dry and lacked in spice and flavour’.
Morrison’s The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies
£2.75 for six
When it came to Morrison’s The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies, the culinary line-up were happy with the ‘ratio of filling to pastry’.
They were also satisfied with the supermarket’s choice to have a ‘traditional currant-filled mincemeat’.
However, while the panel ‘overall liked the festive look’, they ‘weren’t so taken with the taste’.
‘LESS IMPRESSIVE’
Which?’s judge panel wasn’t ‘impressed’ with some of the selection – largely being let down by the pastry
Tesco Finest All Butter Pastry Mince Pies
£3 for six
The Tesco website describes these as containing ‘rich, crumbly all butter pastry packed with a delicious mix of plump vine fruits and glacé cherries’.
However, the judges felt there was ‘an overly acidic flavour and doughy pastry’.
The retailer boasts of the pies as being ‘infused with French brandy and ruby port, with a refreshing twist of lemon zest, tangerine oil and festive spices’ and ‘finished with a gentle dusting of sugar’.
Asda Exceptional Luxury Mince Pies
£2.75 for six
The panel was let down by Asda’s ‘underbaked pastry’ on these pies.
The retailer describes them as being ‘filled with a mincemeat filling with brandy, ruby port, cognac and Valencian orange oil’ as well as being ‘topped with a sweet dusting’.
