These 29p mince pies beat Waitrose and M&S in a taste test, but do you agree?

Which supermarket beat M&S and Waitrose with their 'buttery' offering

Mince Pies
(Image credit: Claire Gillo/PhotoPlus Magazine/Future via Getty Images)

The Christmas season hasn't officially started until you've had your first mince pie - and now a survey has revealed this year's best ones.

Consumer brand Which? who conducted the survey have revealed that both Asda and Iceland's mince pies came out on top - after a blind taste test. Meaning they beat offerings by Waitrose and M&S.

Asda's Extra Special Mince Pies, which cost £1.75 for six (or 29p per pie) were given a 73 per cent score - with the panel of judges scoring each pie on flavour, texture and appearance.

While Iceland also came out on top, with the same score, for their Luxury All Butter Mince Pies, which cost as little as £1.89 for six (31p per pie).

Judges, who were made up of 64 consumers in the UK who regularly eat mince pies, loved the 'crisp' and 'buttery' pastry of the Asda extra special mince pies, while they also noted that the Iceland mince pies 'tasted expensive'.

However, Sainsbury's and Morrisons didn't fare as well, with their offerings at the bottom of the leader table.

Mince Pies

(Image credit: Tesco)

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Mince Pies, which cost £2 for six (33p per pie) only scored 58 percent in the taste test, with some judges commenting that they tasted 'stale'. Morrison's version, touted as 'The Best Mince Pies' came second to last, with a score of 64 percent.

Waitrose and M&S did a little better in the taste test, with the M&S pies coming in fourth and Waitrose No 1 All Butter Mince Pies scoring 68 percent. But at £2.50 a pack, they were around 75p more than the winners.

Harry Rose, editor of Which? Magazine, said: "Nothing tastes more festive than a delicious warm and crumbly mince pie straight from the oven, and while this year Christmas might be a little different, we want to make sure that at least your mince pies don't disappoint." 

Sarah Finley

Sarah is a freelance journalist - writing about the royals and celebrities for Woman & Home, fitness and beauty for the Evening Standard and how the world of work has changed due to the pandemic for the BBC. 

 

She also covers a variety of other subjects and loves interviewing leaders and innovators in the beauty, travel and wellness worlds for numerous UK and overseas publications. 

 

As a journalist, she has written thousands of profile pieces - interviewing CEOs, real-life case studies and celebrities - interviewing everyone from Emma Bunton to the founder of Headspace.