best mince pies 2024
The evenings are drawing in, the Christmas commercials are on repeat, and the yearly discussion in homes across the country has begun: which supermarket mince pie genuinely deserves a spot on your festive plate? The modest mince pie, a spiced, fruity symbol of British Christmas, appears easy enough. However, as any connoisseur will tell you, the difference between a mediocre pie and a superb one is as large as that between a warm glow from the fire and a draft from a poorly sealed window.
This year, we conducted our most ambitious tasting ever. Every “luxury” or “finest” range was investigated. We assembled a willing (and some not-so-willing) panel of family tasters, equipped with cups of tea and critical palates, to sift through a mound of mincemeat and pie. Our aim was clear: to cut through the marketing hype and uncover the true heroes and surprising flops of the 2024 mince pie season.
Our standards were tough yet fair. We evaluated each pie at room temperature to enable the genuine flavors to shine, searching for a buttery, flaky, and flavorful pastry that doesn’t feel like a vessel. The filling needed to be generous, balanced, and aromatic with spices—not just a cloyingly sweet paste. Most importantly, we sought that magical balance in which pastry and filling compliment one another in a wonderful, joyous symphony.
So, without further ado, let us go into the flaky, fruity, and occasionally frightening realm of the greatest and worst mince pies for Christmas 2024.
The Hall of Fame: The crème de la crème.
These are the pies you’ll want to serve with pride and hoard for yourself when the relatives have gone home.
Marks & Spencer Collection Mince Pies (£4.00 for 6)
Our rating is 5/5.
Let’s start with the pie, which had our entire panel nodding in unison. The Marks & Spencer Collection mince pie is a masterclass in mince pie construction. The first thing you notice is the shape; these pies have straighter sides than standard shallow domes, resulting in a deeper well for the filling. What a filling it is. The mincemeat is luxuriously rich, full with large vine fruits, and has a delicious, zesty orange tang that perfectly balances the sweetness. It’s complicated, festive, and irresistibly delicious.
The pastry stands out on its own. It’s definitely 100% butter, with a delightful short, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. The cover is thin and delicate, giving adequate structural stability without dominating the experience. It’s buttery, generous, and well balanced. There are no notes, as they say. Perhaps one: buy two boxes, as the first will go in an instant. This is the unquestioned champion for 2024.
Lidl Deluxe All Butter Mince Pies – £1.49 for 6
Our Rating: 4/5
If the M&S pie is the gold standard, the Lidl Deluxe version is the uncontested value champion and a strong candidate for first place. At only £1.49, these pies outperform rivals costing nearly twice as much. The mincemeat is delicious—deep, fruity, and expertly spiced. The flavour comes through clearly and satisfyingly, just as you would expect.
They are capped with an appealing, rustic-looking star made of the same crumbly, buttery pastry as the base. The texture is perfect, and the filling to pastry ratio is ideal. These are incredible value for money. They demonstrate that you don’t have to pay a fortune to have a truly delicious, no-compromise mince pie. A strong, dependable, and delicious option for any holiday celebration.
The Solid Contenders: Trusty and Tasty
These pies won’t necessarily set your world on fire, but they are dependable, well-made, and will leave nobody disappointed.
Morrisons The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies – £2.00 for 6
Our Rating: 3/5
Visually, these are quite appealing. They have a rustic, “artisan” appearance and offer a deeply satisfying experience. The crust is a standout—perfectly crumbly and with a wonderful, authentic buttery flavor that mince pie purists will like. It’s the type of pastry you long for.
However, there is also a minor drawback. There is simply so much of that delicious pastry that the filling becomes slightly lost. The mincemeat is delicious and not overly sweet, but it struggles to compete with the buttery cage. This is an example of a fantastic component being abused. A pretty excellent pie, although it could have been better with additional filling.
Tesco Merry Mince Pies – £1.25 for 6
Our Rating: 3/5
This is the epitome of a straightforward, traditional mince pie. If you’re looking for a baseline, this is it. The pastry is good—it’s flaky, buttery, and holds together well. The filling is somewhat above average, with a good fruit-to-spice ratio.
There are no fireworks, but there are no unpleasant surprises either. The classic mince pie experience is what you expect. For the price, it’s a totally decent option that performs exactly what it says on the tin. It’s the mince pie equivalent of a dependable hatchback; it takes you where you need to go with minimal fuss.
Asda Exceptional Luxury Mince Pies – £2.75 for 6
Our Rating: 3/5
Another pie that qualifies as “good but not great”. The pastry on the Asda Luxury offering is excellent—it’s evident that real butter was used, and it has a delicious melt-in-your-mouth feel. The mincemeat has an excellent, traditional flavour.
The difficulty, similar to the Morrisons pie, is balance. There’s a little too much pastry for the amount of filling, turning what could have been a four-star pie into a good three. It’s a good, pleasurable experience, but it doesn’t have the “wow” element of the top contenders.
The Experimental Zone: Pies With a “Twist”
Supermarkets love to experiment, but as we learned, it doesn’t necessarily result in better. This category is a motley bag of intriguing ideas and complete failures.
Waitrose Crumble Top Mince Pies with Cranberry and Orange – £4.00 for 6
Our Rating: ⅗
Waitrose’s entry into the crumble-top market is a qualified success. The orange flavour is strong and delicious, offering a bright, zesty contrast to the sweet mincemeat. The crumble topping is perfectly baked and provides a unique textural texture. Our panel observed a significant improvement over a similar offering last year, which was welcomed with less excitement.
However, the key question remains: is this better than a traditional mince pie? Most of our tasters answered no. It’s a fun treat on occasion, but the crumble can make the overall experience feel dry and too sugary. A gallant effort, but only for those who have mastered the classic and are searching for a minor change.
Lidl Salted Caramel & Brandy Crumble Mince Pies – £2.59 for 6
Our Rating: 2/5
We are grouping these two Lidl “twist” pies together because they had similar faults. To be clear, if you marketed these as “Festive Fruit Crumble Tarts,” they would be quite popular. The crumble topping on both is delicious—golden, crispy, and satisfying.
The issue is with the name: mince pie. The Salted Caramel version is very sugary, hiding whatever subtlety the mincemeat may have had. In contrast, the Brandy version has an alarmingly minimal amount of filler. You’re left with largely sweet crumble and pastry, with only a touch of mincemeat. They represent a triumph of notion over authenticity. Tasty? In a sweet manner, yeah. A good mince pie? Unfortunately not.
Waitrose Frangipane Mince Pies with Caramelised Almonds – £4.00 for 6
Our Rating: 1/5
This is the most divisive pie in the lineup. As a frangipane tart, it is fantastic. The almond flavour is deep, the texture is moist and marzipan-like, and the caramelized almonds on top add a lovely finishing touch. It would easily earn a five.
However, it is being advertised as a mince pie. And the mincemeat is an afterthought, a tiny layer completely overshadowed by the strong frangipane. You can’t taste the spicy fruits that define mince pie. This is a case of mistaken identity. A lovely error, but still a mistake. If you want a frangipane tart, purchase this. If you want mince pie, search elsewhere.
Asda Exceptional Frangipane and Amaretto Mince Pies – £2.50 for 6
Our Rating: 2/5
Following Waitrose’s lead but with less success, one taster called Asda’s frangipane effort as “weird.” The texture of the pastry was strange, almost gritty, and it did not sit well. The frangipane layer lacked the delicacy of the Waitrose version, and the whole thing felt awkward and uneven. If you’re enticed by this idea, the extra cost of the Waitrose version is worthwhile, even if it fails as a mince pie.
The Hall of Shame: Pies to Avoid at All Costs
Save your calories and your Christmas spirit. These are the pies that truly disappointed.
Waitrose Christmas All Butter Mince Pies – £2.75 for 6
Our Rating: 1/5
Waitrose’s iconic entry-level pie failed to live up to our expectations. The pie contains less dough and mincemeat than its competitors, which may be beneficial in terms of balance. In actuality, however, it resulted in a really boring pie. Our panel’s descriptions were severe but accurate: “weak,” “watery,” and “meaningless.” The flavor was so mild that it seemed as if the true spirit of Christmas had been diluted beyond recognition. The thin, light lid was an appropriate cover for a truly subpar product. A major disappointment from a retailer recognized for its quality.
Tesco Finest All Butter Pastry Mince Pies – £3.00 for 6
Our Rating: 1/5
If the ordinary Tesco pie is a dependable hatchback, the Tesco Finest model is a car with a flashy body kit and a defective engine. The reality completely contradicted the promise of luxury. The dough was pale, floury, and underbaked, prompting one taster to remark, “Has this even been cooked?”. It lacked buttery richness and had a terrible “mouth-feel”—a clumpy, disagreeable texture that persisted. To add insult to injury, there was an abundance of this terrible pastry. A complete failure from a normally reliable range.
Tesco Finest Spiced Rum Mince Pies – £3.50 for 6
Our Rating: 0/5
Behold, the worst mince pie of 2024. It is the more visually appealing option. It has a lovely, rustic appearance, coated with icing sugar, and guarantees a gastronomic experience. But that’s where the praise stops. The pastry suffers from the same floury, undercooked problem as its Finest counterpart. This pie’s worst flaw is its filling.
Multiple tasters declared the spiced rum flavor “nearly inedible” due to its artificial and overwhelming nature. The harshest criticism came from a family member, who took a taste, paused, and stated, “It’s like drinking cheap doubles in a nightclub.”
Asda Excellence Brown Butter Flavour and Rum Mince Pies – £2.75 for 6
Our Rating: 1/5
Following the trend of disastrously alcoholic pies, Asda’s “Excellence” offering failed terribly. The promised “brown butter flavor” was completely lost in a tidal wave of harsh, artificial-tasting rum. It evoked the same “nightclub” comparison as the Tesco Finest rum pie, which is not something any Christmas dish should strive for. Avoid unless your Christmas custom is startling your guests with the sheer boldness of an unpleasant flavor combination.
The Final Verdict: Your 2024 Mince Pie Buying Guide
- After innumerable crumbs and many cups of tea to wash the palate, our conclusions are obvious.
- For the Ultimate, No-Expense-Spared Treat: The Marks & Spencer Collection mince pie is well worth the £4 price tag. It is the baseline.
- For the Best Value and an All-Round Star: At £1.49, the Lidl Deluxe All Butter mince pie rivals pies costing much more.
- For a No-Fuss Classic: The basic Tesco Merry Mince Pies will do the job admirably without surprising anyone.
- For the Adventuresome (But Cautious): The Waitrose Crumble Top with Cranberry and Orange is the only successful “twist” we’d suggest, but only as a secondary box for variety.
- Avoid Tesco Finest Spiced Rum and Waitrose’s usual Christmas pies. They are the Ghosts of Christmas, disappointing.
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