We've tried and tasted a whole range of shop-bought mince pies this year so you don't have to. From M&S to Morrisons, from Bettys to Fitzbillies, here are the food experts favourites.
With a wide range of shop-bought mince pies available in the lead-up to Christmas both in stores and online, it becomes challenging to determine which ones truly stand out as the best mince pies for this year. In our annual Christmas foods taste test, we evaluated a range of independent and supermarket shop-bought mince pies. Most mince pies were conveniently offered in either a 4 or 6-packet or box, and the majority were available for purchase online.
Our expert panel who tried and tested the mince pies included Group Food Director Jen Bedloe, Food Editor Jess Meyer, Deputy Food Editor Rose Fooks, Food Writer Amanda James, and Junior Food Writer Georgia Sparks. With years of experience and a vast amount of culinary expertise, this team is well-versed in identifying what makes the best mince pies.
The selection of this year's top-rated mince pies features the best supermarket mince pies including Sainsbury's, M&S, and Morrisons, as well as homemade bakeries such as Bettys, Rosebud Preserves, and Fitzbillies. Earning the most points and taking the top spot for the best mince pie in 2023 was Bettys. These mince pies stood out from the rest with a generous and traditional filling and super buttery pastry. Alongside Morrisons, who scooped the top spot for the best supermarket mince pies.
We’ve also rated various other Christmas foods in our annual taste tests including the best turkey, the best Christmas cake, and the best Christmas puddings, so save time and make light work this year, as they will be a treat over the festive season. You might also like our pick of the best Christmas desserts.
Recent updates
This article was updated on the 20th of December. We checked the prices of all the products featured in the article and updated some of the deals for accuracy.
Where to buy mince pies for 2023
- Morrisons: The perfect all-rounder mince pies with a classic taste and a Christmas look, great for those on a budget
- Sainsbury’s: A mince pie with a twist, shop online or in-store and buy your Christmas desserts and Christmas turkey
- Bettys: Available online from November, not only can you buy mince pies but Christmas cakes and Christmas puddings
Best tried and tasted mince pies
Why you can trust GoodtoKnow. Our experienced Consumer Editor & parent reviewers spend hours testing products to help you make the best choice. Find out how we test and review products.
Best mince pies from last year
How did we test the best mince pies?
The Christmas taste testing took place in our company Test Kitchen. Throughout the testing procedure, each individual mince pie received a number enabling them to be anonymous, which then related to a spreadsheet where we could easily score their observations and descriptions of our taste notes for each individual mince pie. Including crucial aspects such as the pie's flavour, texture, and overall appearance.
Each mince pie was presented next to one another. We can equally judge on initial appearance, including design, colour of the pastry, and the packaging too. Each mince pie was served cold and warmed to note differences in flavours, smells, and textures.
Judges were looking for the quality of the pastry and the richness and abundance of the filling. To receive a high score, the pastry had to strike a balance between being crumbly and sturdy while delivering a delectable buttery taste. As for the fillings, they were expected to be flavourful and generous in filling them with fruit, yet not excessively sweet. Additional points for those with extra Christmassy fruits, nuts, and hints of other flavours.
Meet the experts: Tried and tasted by...
An experienced recipe writer, editor, and food stylist, Jen is Group Food Director at Future plc where she oversees the food content across the women’s lifestyle group, including Woman & Home, Women’s Weekly, Woman, Woman’s Own, Chat, Goodto.com, and womanandhome.com. Jen studied Communications at Goldsmiths, then landed her first job in media working for Delia Smith’s publishing company on Sainsbury’s magazine. Jen honed her practical skills by combining courses at Leith’s cookery school with time spent in the test kitchen testing recipes and assisting food stylists on photoshoots.
Jess is Food Editor at Future plc, working across brands in the woman’s lifestyle group, including Woman & Home, Woman’s Weekly, Woman, Woman’s Own, Chat, womanandhome.com and Goodto.com. An experienced recipe writer, food stylist and home economist, Jess honed her skills in print and digital food media, working with well known brands such as Great British Bake Off, Tastemade US and UK, and Slimming World to name a few.
Rose Fooks is Deputy Food Editor at Future plc, creating recipes, reviewing products and writing food features for a range of lifestyle and home titles including GoodTo, Woman’s Weekly and Woman & Home. Our resident baking expert, Rose has a Diplome de Patisserie and Culinary Management at London’s Le Cordon Bleu. Her favourite time of year is Christmas as she loves nothing more than creating elaborate edible centrepieces such as her Gingerbread Cuckoo Clock to wow friends and family.
Amanda has clocked up experience in both digital and print working at brands including Olive, ASDA Good Living and Ocado becoming an expert food and recipe writer, reviewer and tester. At Future Plc Amanda has a busy schedule having taken on the health and Christmas specials. With a savoury tooth and discerning palate, Amanda enjoys testing the main categories, but secretly she loves a dessert with a novel twist, such as the Smash Nose Snowman Cheesecake from Tesco.
Georgia Sparks is Junior Food Writer, working across Woman & Home, Woman’s Weekly, Chat and goodto.com. She's passionate about food and is most content knife and fork in hand around the table with family and friends. Georgia works within the Food Team at Future Plc where she can usually be found in the kitchen developing and testing recipes as well as assisting on shoots and writing food features.
How long do shop-bought mince pies last?
Always check the packaging, but usually, mince pies should be eaten within 3 days of opening, ensuring you cover them or keep them in an airtight container. Homemade mince pies usually last for up to 1 week in an airtight container or tightly wrapped.
Leftover mince pies can easily be crushed and mixed with ice cream to make mince pie ice cream or can be made into mince pie rocky road.
Why do we have mince pies at Christmas?
Originally made with meat including pigeon, pheasant, and hare, but as time passed, mince pies evolved into sweet indulgence pies by replacing the meat with a mixture of dried fruits and spices. Mince pies gained popularity during the festive and Christmas season due to a Mediaeval tradition. People would consume a mince pie every day for 12 days, starting from Christmas Day and culminating on Twelfth Night.
Can vegetarians eat mince pies?
Yes, although called mincemeat, it is in fact a mix of dried fruits and spices which makes these vegetarian and often vegan-friendly. Some mince pies still use animal suet, although most use vegetable suet now instead.
Looking for more Christmas inspiration? Have a look at our best Christmas food hampers for 2023. As well as Christmas dinner timings and everything you need to know about cooking a turkey including how long does it take to cook a turkey per kg?
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