Mince pies date back to the 12th century and were traditionally filled with meat such as lamb, rather than fruit like they are today. They typically reach the supermarket shelves in September each year, but with so many on the market to try, which ones are the tastiest?
This year, many supermarkets have added a twist onto the traditional mince pie including Aldi who has gone for different flavours like salted caramel and Iceland who has added yuzu juice to theirs.
With so many different treats on offer at different prices, it can be hard to know which supermarket to head to.
With supermarkets competing to win the tastiest mince pie, judges at the Good Housekeeping Institute ranked various different mince pies in their famous Christmas taste test.
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The judges said: “The surprising addition of yuzu juice (from a small Japanese citrus fruit) to the mincemeat filling of our runner-up best mince pie adds a sharp tang to the already citrussy aroma, which complements the buttery smell of the pastry and the spiced filing.
“Vine fruit adds a sweetness to the filling, which has a touch of Christmas spice and is encased in deliciously savoury pastry for a balanced bite.”
David Lennox, Head Chef at Iceland, said: “Our new improved recipe certainly impressed the Good Housekeeping Institute judges and we have to admit, our luxury mince pies are very special. With their light pastry and great flavours – we’re expecting them to fly off the shelves.”
Iceland’s Luxury Mince Pies were also crowned as the best mince pies of the year at the Quality Food and Drinks Awards.
BBC Good Food Magazine judges also took the test, tasting a number of supermarket mince pies.
For these taste-testers, it was Spar’s luxury version of mince pies at £2 a pack which won the top prize in the category.
This is the first time the small supermarket has won the award.
Discount retailer Aldi was also close behind Spar with the judges highly commending their mince pies in the same category.
The supermarket has included different flavours in their mince pie line up.
Flavours include Aldi’s Specially Selected Blood Orange & Gin Mince Pies and the Specially Selected Salted Caramel Crumble Mince Pies costing £1.79 for a pack of six.