The Mince Pie Roundup
Introduction
Some claim that Mince Pies are somewhat marmite; I’ll never understand this. Just when you thought a full christmas dinner with copious amounts of mulled wine had you sedated into an oblivion, a small fruity pastry with dashings of brandy sauce comes along and truly hits the spot. A perfect end to the annual festive dinner.
Not all of us have the time or will power to build our own mince pies. While many say that one could easily purchase and compile the relevant components with a greater scope for customisation for less, we saw fit to cater for the typical customer instead. So what exactly is available to the discerned prebuilt pie buyer?
This review will put three brands of mince pie to the test, from entry level through to all out taste-bud performance. Moreover, we will be putting two popular brandy sauces to the test with the intention of finding the best mince pie dessert solution.
Time for a table of products…
| Â Mince Pies | TESCOÂ Â Â Â Â |
MR KIPLINGÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â |
M&S LUXURY ALL BUTTER |
| Pie Units | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Size | Standard | Standard | Mini |
| Contains Alcohol | No | No | Yes – Brandy, Port |
| Pastry Type | Conventional | Conventional | All Butter Short Crust |
| Calories / Pie | 245 | 256 | 110 |
| Current Price | £1 | £1.50 | £2.99 |
What we have here are two similar (albeit branded vs non branded) mince pies pitched alongside the finest offerings from Marks & Spencer. Clearly the M&S product is more expensive but how much better can it be?
Lets find out.
