Mince pies are a Christmas staple - love them or loathe them, they're everywhere at this time of year.
Christmas is just around the corner and supermarkets are pulling out all the stops when it comes to festive products, with sweet treats and savoury snacks aplenty. Mince pies in particular are dominating the shelves, with many supermarkets hoping their fruit filled pastries will be the ones chosen and handed out at all the inevitable festive soirees.
The trusty mince pie is a beloved and traditional recipe, suggesting that no matter where you shop, they should all taste the same - but this is very rarely the case.
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There's seemingly endless options on offer, from the standard version to innovative twists like alcohol infused concoctions; deep filled for those craving something a little extra; salted caramel and other flavours; iced topped; pastry variations and more.
With that in mind, we recently tested mince pies from a number of supermarkets to see how they compared, but we wondered if we'd be able to tell the difference between two of the biggest hitters in a blind taste test.
Marks and Spencer is known and loved for its high quality, luxurious food products, while Aldi has amassed a dedicated following thanks to its extensive line-up of coveted products. The budget-friendly retailer is also famed for its dupes and product replicas, so we decided to see how well Aldi's 'Specially Selected' All Butter Mince Pies compared with Marks and Spencer's Collection Mince Pies.
The packaging and design of the mince pies look rather similar but just how far did the similarities go? Here's our verdict:
What's included and how much they cost
Aldi's six 'Specially Selected' All Butter Mince Pies are infused with brandy, dry cider and ruby port finished with a 'sweet dusting'. They were originally priced at £1.75, down to £1.49, which we thought was a really good price for six mince pies.
At 228 calories per mince pie, the festive treat promises a luxury mincemeat of vine and citrus fruits in a thick dusted pastry. The Aldi mince pies can also be heated up in the oven for added indulgence. They can be purchased here.
Marks and Spencer's version features 'melt in the mouth' all butter shortcrust pastry, while the deep filling consists of vine fruits, cranberries, clementine and Cognac. They're 215 calories per mince pie, so quite a decadent treat, and like Aldi's, they can be served warm. You can buy them from Ocado here.
They were slightly pricier than Aldi's, costing £3 for a pack of six. While 50p per mince pie is reasonably cheap, they're quite a step up from Aldi's purse-friendly price. In this round, Aldi definitely took top prize.
The overall product design
Both sets of mince pies come in luxurious navy boxes with a festive design. The box of Aldi mince pies looked slightly more vibrant than Marks and Spencer's, with imagery featuring the mince pies, as well as gold stars and greenery.
What we really liked about Marks and Spencer's packaging was the fact there was no calorie or dietary information mentioned on the front of box. Sometimes, it's better to enjoy a mince pie in all its calorific glory, as opposed to feeling guilty in the moment!
Though Marks and Spencer's design was far simpler, we loved the classy, no-frills approach and felt it looked timeless. Marks and Spencer was edging closer and closer to winning this round.
In the box, the Aldi mince pies looked arguably better than the M&S mince pies but once we took them out, we realised we were wrong. As gloriously golden as they were, there was a lot of excessive dusting that made the mince pies look a little messy, while the pastry was incredibly thick and hid any of the mincemeat filling from sight.
The M&S mince pies looked lovely and neat in comparison, with a similar yet cleaner star design that made them look significantly better than Aldi's. Marks in Spencer claimed the top spot in this round.
How they taste
Arguably the most important element! After tucking in during a blind taste test, there was one winner by a mile. The M&S mince pies tasted absolutely amazing, with a luxuriously buttery pastry that was reminiscent of shortbread.
It was perfectly complimented by the decadent filling, which beautifully fused the flavours together - the zesty, rich clementine ensuring the rich, sweet middle didn't become sickly. There was a lightness to Marks and Spencer's mince pies, which Aldi couldn't compete with.
Although the Aldi mince pies were tasty, the pastry was far too thick and a little dry, giving it quite a chalky texture and the filling was rather underwhelming. Although the mincemeat centre infused with brandy, dry cider and ruby port offered hints of a rich flavour, it just didn't quite cut it in the taste department.
It still had that distinctive mince pie taste and perhaps it wouldn't have seemed so lacklustre if it hadn't been immediately followed by M&S's perfect concoction. Another win for Marks and Spencer.
The final verdict
If you're after a mince pie to scratch that festive itch, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Aldi version. However, the M&S mince pies are a total step up, adding an element of decadence and luxury. There's also a range of different flavours to choose from, all encased in posh buttery pastry.
Considering we're two people that aren't really big fans of mince pies, we only actually ended up finishing the M&S mince pies - crumbs and all. We'll definitely be tucking into these again, and we'd advise you to do the same. Sorry Aldi, but Marks and Spencer is undoubtedly our winner.
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