A SURPRISING supermarket has been crowned the best for mince pies in a blind taste test.
Consumer website Which? asked a panel of four baking experts to rate their favourite supermarket mince pie out of a list of seven.
The panel, which included Great British Bake Off winners and award-winning chefs, tried the treats in a blind taste test.
They were looking for mince pies with an attractive golden appearance, rich, buttery, well-baked pastry, and a flavoursome filling with a good balance of fruit and spices.
The winner in this year’s taste test was Waitrose No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac.
At £4 for six, or 67p per pie, they earned themselves a Which? 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.
They also had a traditional homemade look that the experts appreciated.
Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies impressed the judges with their great buttery taste, snowflake design and tasty filling packed with fruit and spices.
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.
Despite not receiving a Which? Best Buy endorsement, other supermarkets also delivered some tasty and budget-friendly options.
M&S Collection Mince Pies (£4 for six) impressed the judges with their generous filling and golden pastry. One member of the panel praised the crisp pastry and subtle sweetness, but another wanted more spice.
Iceland’s Luxury All Butter Mince Pies (£3 for six) were praised for their packed fillings of sultana and fruit but the experts felt they were too dry and lacked in spice and flavour.
Morrison’s The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies also fared well, costing £2.75 for six.
The panel said there was a good ratio of filling to pastry, and a traditional currant-filled mincemeat.
Overall, the panel liked the festive look but wasn’t so taken with the taste.
Some mince pies were less impressive.
For example, Tesco and Asda’s offerings both fell flat.
Tesco Finest All Butter Pastry Mince Pies – £3 for six pies – failed to impress the experts with an overly acidic flavour and doughy pastry.
Asda‘s Exceptional Luxury Mince Pies (£2.75 for six) let down the panel because they felt they had underbaked pastry.
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.
“The competition was fierce this year, but Waitrose was the only winner of our Best Buy endorsement. For those looking for a more affordable option, Aldi’s excellent Great Value pies are tasty but don’t break the bank.”
It’s worth bearing in mind, the prices Which? found for the mince pies were correct as of November 13.
That means you might have to pay more or less when you come to buying one.
If you’re not fussed on flavour and are more worried about cutting costs, use a price comparison site to find the best deal.
Trolley lets you compare prices on thousands of products across the major supermarkets and filter results from the least to most expensive.
Bear in mind it doesn’t include prices from some retailers though, like Home Bargains and Lidl.
You can also have a quick scan of the internet with the Google Shopping/Product tab to see which retailer has the cheapest price on a specific product too.
Mince pies aren’t the only Christmas item Which? has been testing.
It also tried supermarket own-brand Irish cream against Baileys – and the winner wasn’t Aldi or M&S.
In other taste test news, we tried booze advent calendars – the festive winner was just £2 per drink.
Plus, we tested 12 festive sandwiches including Aldi and Starbucks – the winner was a hearty handheld Christmas dinner under £4.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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