Aldi's budget mince pies take top spot in taste test

Christmas mince pies from budget supermarket Aldi have trumped brands almost eight times more expensive in an annual taste test by UK consumer group Which?.

Aldi’s Specially Selected 6 Luxury Mince Pies – the cheapest tested - beat the likes of top UK brands like Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason, who placed last out of 12 retailers.

Lidl’s Snowy Lodge Luxury Mince Pies and Marks and Spencer’s Handcrafted Ultimate All Butter Mince Pies took joint second place.

Which? asked major supermarkets, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and Selfridges to nominate a traditional-style premium or luxury mince pie from their own label-range.

A panel of four experts blind-tasted each pie warm, and in a different order, and scored them on appearance, aroma, texture and taste.

Judges said Aldi’s offering was “lush, spicy and juicy, while the rich golden pastry is thin, crisp and light”, but were disappointed with Fortnum and Mason’s “flat-tasting, soft and crumbly” pastry.

Which? said consumers could save this year by buying the best mince pies, Champagne and sparking wine selected by its judges as opposed to the most expensive.

The watchdog said: “We found the ones with the biggest price tags aren’t always the best, with the supermarkets’ own labels often beating the big brands and luxury retailers.”