Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the mighty mince pie and it’s that time of year again when Britons are stocking up on the seasonal snack.
GB News sampled the best variety from various supermarkets and a selection of mince pie enthusiasts put them to the test.
Tucking into varieties by Waitrose, Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Co-op – in a blind test – the team declared that Co-op’s premium pies are second to none.
While all the pies were enjoyable, the team will certainly be picking up a packet of Co-op Irresistible All Butter Pastry Luxury Mince Pies.
The team tried the mince pies cold but would of course recommend them with a serving of cream and a glass of mulled wine.
Co-op Irresistible All Butter Pastry Luxury Mince Pies were practically perfect
Co-op
Co-op Irresistible All Butter Pastry Luxury Mince Pies (£2.95)4.5/5
Scoring a tremendous 4.5/5 on average, Co-op’s Irresistible All Butter Pastry Luxury Mince Pies went down a treat with the team.
The tops of the pastries boasted a pretty snowflake motif on the top – like all of the others but one – however these looked the most homemade and authentic.
As for taste, the mince pie enthusiasts at GB News couldn’t fault their “perfect pastry to filling ratio”.
Co-op members can snap these up for £2.50 until December 27.
Morrisons the Best 6 Deep Filled Mince Pies (£2.75) 4.3/5
Morrisons’ premium offering was our second favourite, scoring an excellent 4.3/5.
Just behind Co-op’s variety, the team loved the pies’ “authentic” flavour, with one fan declaring that they “taste like Christmas”. The pies even boasted the sweet snowflake motif we loved about Co-op’s take on the mince pie.
Morrisons’ mince pies received the most five-star ratings across the board, but missed out on the top spot, with one reviewer describing them as “unremarkable”.
Shoppers can get their hands on the pies for £2.75 online and £1.75 in main estate stores.
Waitrose No.1 6 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac (£4) 3.9/5
Waitrose’s deluxe mince pies received a fabulous score of 3.9/5, following closely behind Co-op and Morrisons.
They didn’t boast the snowflake motif that the other mince pies did, which set them apart from the crowd as a bit more classic.
While the flavour had “lots of depth”, the pies didn’t quite live up to the decadence and richness of the number one and two spots – although the pastry part was deemed “even better than Morrisons”.
Tesco finest 6 All Butter Pastry Mince Pies with Brandy & Port (£3) 3.6/5
The Tesco finest mince pies were also a high scorer and were even described as the “best looking” of the bunch by mince pie fans who appreciate a good snowflake motif.
They received good scores across the board and the team enjoyed the infusion of brandy and port, although one taste tester described the pies as “too tart”.
Lidl Deluxe All Butter Mince Pies 6-pack (£3) 3.3/5
While Lidl’s deluxe pies were tasty, scoring a very reasonable 3.5/5, the team agreed that this is certainly a pudding best served hot.
The pies had a festive appearance – albeit a little pale – and had the “fruity” flavour you want from a mince pie, but they would taste better warmed up.
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GB News got ready for Christmas with a mince pie festive feast
GB NEWS
Morrisons the Best 6 Deep Filled Mince Pies ‘taste like Christmas’
Morrisons
Aldi Specially Selected 6 All Butter Mince Pies (£1.99) 2.5/5
While Aldi’s premium offering was by no means poor, the discount supermarket did score the second lowest in our taste test, receiving an average rating of 2.5/5.
The reason for this was that the pastry-to-filling ratio felt a bit off, with the GB News team wanting more of the dried fruits, sugar and spices enjoyed in the mighty mince pie. We did love the infusion of Cognac, Ruby Port and Dry Cider though.
But despite falling ever so slightly short of the other mince pies, they were the cheapest at just £1.99 – down from £2.29 for the rest of the festive period, so they make a great cheap eat.
Sainsbury’s Mince Pies, Taste the Difference (£3 – £1.95 with Nectar) 2.4/5
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mince Pies can spell good or bad news, depending on how much you like brandy. If brandy is your tipple of choice and you love its fruity flavour, these pies are perfect for you.
However, if brandy isn’t quite your cup of tea, it all feels a little too strong. Unfortunately, the team found that the taste was a little overpowering, so we couldn’t fully enjoy the flavours of the apples, currants, sultanas and citrus peel.
