MINCE PIES

One mince pie, you may think is much like any other. And you may be on to something... but what about a vegan one? And before you make the ‘have they taken the mince out’ gag, let’s see how it compares to some of the supermarkets’ finest.

I’m banking on Mr Kipling being King Kipling here... but let’s see shall we.

They are always essential if you have folk round and the supermarkets are not slow in trying to flog them to you the minute you walk into their stores. So with napkin tucked in, here we go:

Tesco Finest: All Butter Mince Pies with Courvoisier VS Cognac

Densely packed little fellas with the cognac subtly adding some punch against a backdrop of some rather pleasing all-butter pastry. They suffer a little from the perennial problem of crumbling away mid-pie so don’t lose that little foil tray as you’ll need it. However, they run our winner a close second.

If you like a bit of oomph in your mince pie pastry then allow me to introduce you to Lidl’s effort. The pastry is the star here but it rather drowns out the taste of the filling, which is something of a shame. Also fell apart on the first mouthful. Not a problem as such, but no-one wants half a mince pie down their Christmas jumper within minutes of arriving do they?

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference: All Butter infused with Brandy

Little bit of a let down this one. Holds its form well and plenty of filling, but just a little on the mundane side and lacking the punch of some of its competitors. You’ll not have folk handing them back in disgust, don’t get me wrong, but when you’re after the best, I fear this isn’t it.

Mr Kipling’s Deep Filled Mince Pies There’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple, and the esteemed Mr Kipling is something of a dab hand at this cake business. Crumbly, no alcoholic flourishes, and a decent mince pie. But not, you may be surprised to learn, today’s winner.