The Great Foodstuff Finds Mince Pie Taste Test - Results - By @Cinabar

If you were wondering "who ate all the pies," I can confirm: it was us! We have taste tested and rated most of the high street Mince Pies on sale this year. We have been around all the shops, from Aldi to Marks and Spencer, and even stopped off at Greggs on the way. We took into account pastry, filling, and design and packaging, collated scores, and gave a percentage rating to all of them, and now the results are in:

 

Aldi Holly Lane Mince Pies - Rated: 57% 

(£1.09 for 6, equivalent to 18p each)

I really wanted these to do well; we all root for the underdog, and to be honest, these weren't bad pies at all.They came last on our list as the filling wasn’t very generous and the pastry was dry.

M&S 6 Iced Topped Mince Pies -  Rated 69%

(£2 for 6, equivalent to 33p each)

The pastry was nice, but there was not enough mincemeat and the icing was too thick.

Sainsbury’s Mince Pies - Rated 72%

(£1.25 for 6, equivalent to 21p each)

These ones were really nice; the pastry was a bit thick and a little dry, but the filling was really good.

M&S Lattice Mince Pies - Rated 82%

(£2 for 6, equivalent to 33p each)

The pastry seems thick, but it is soft and tasty. There is orange peel in the mincemeat, which was absolutely lovely. 

Mr Kipling Mince Pies - Rated 82%

(£1.85 for 6, equivalent to 31p each)

Well these are the classic British mince pie through and through. The pastry is a little thick, but there is plenty of filling too; they are wonderfully generously filled and well flavoured. 

Iceland Mince Pies - Rated 82%

(£1.20 for 6, equivalent to 20p each)

These are the best budget mince pies we could find. They look a little smaller overall, but they have good pastry and a nice filling that is sweet and well spiced. 

Tesco Iced Topped Mince Pies - Rated 92%

(£1.75 for 6, equivalent to 29p each)

These were so well balanced: a nice layer of icing, not too thick, and a decent pastry with a tasty filling.

Greggs Mince Pies - Rated 97%

(Sold individually for 60p each)

These pies are rather generous, bigger than the boxed versions from other brands. They are baked fresh, and the pastry is spot-on buttery, not too thick, and still has a bit of crunch. The mincemeat is juicy with plenty of fruit, these are a proper treat.

And the winners are...

Walkers of Scotland Mince Pies - Rated 100%

(£5 for 4, equivalent to £1.25 each)

Yes, these pies got 100%; that is, every person gave them full marks in every single category. They were by far the most expensive pies we purchased, but what can I say, they at least met our expectations.The filling was juicy and flavorful, and there was plenty of it. The pastry was next level; it was so buttery and biscuit-like and an absolute joy to eat. Everyone was just saying "mmmm" while they ate them. They are a bit good, and from the scores, you can see they are actual mince pie perfection.

Have we missed any pies you think should be rated too? Let us know! Which ones are your favourite?