It’s not just any mince pie, it’s an M&S mince pie.
Marks and Spencer has been named the place to shop for the best mince pies this Christmas, with its M&S Collection Mince Pies winning the title of Which? Best Buy in the consumer watchdog’s annual taste test.
A panel of baking experts blind-tasted 11 supermarket premium mince pies to uncover the most delicious – and the most disappointing.
The M&S mince pies (£2.50 for six) were a firm favourite, scoring 87%. The panel described them as giving off a “quintessentially Christmassy aroma” and praised the “golden, buttery pastry” alongside the “boozy, fruity mincemeat”.Related... The Best 2019
Christmas Hampers If you’re looking for a tasty mince pie that’s slighter cheaper than M&S’s offering, head to Iceland or Asda, where both products scored 73%. Iceland’s Luxury Mince Pies (£1.89 for six) were praised for the star decoration, which exposed the “juicy” mincemeat, but some experts felt that the filling lacked spice.
Meanwhile the Asda Extra Special All Butter Luxury Mince Pies (£1.50 for six) were praised for “moist, well-flavoured” mincemeat, but some judges found the pastry to be “pale and a little dry”.READ MORE: The Best (And Worst) Christmas Hot Drinks – Ranked At the other end of the scale, Spar’s Luxury All Butter Mince Pies failed to impress. The mince pies (£2 for six) received the lowest score given this year, at just 48%. The panel called the pastry “bland and under baked” and said its filling was overly sweet, too wet and lacked spice.Mince pie fans may also want to avoid Waitrose and Morrisons.
The Waitrose & Partners No. 1 All Butter Mince Pies matched M&S in price at £2.50 for six, but the mincemeat was a disappointment, with one expert describing it as “claggy”.Meanwhile Morrisons’ The Best All Butter Deep Filled Mince Pies (£2 for six) were given a score of just 52% by the disappointed experts. Describing the pies as lacking “any distinctive flavour or spicing”, they also felt that the pastry was undercooked.
Stocking up on Christmas goodies this weekend? Don’t forget to check out our guides on the best Christmas drinks and the best Christmas sandwiches, too.
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