A great mince pie rests on its pastry, so shop-bought mincemeat can be a good time saver – make your own pastry and the pies will still be sensational.
You can pep up a jar with extra booze-soaked fruit or top the pies with a dollop of brandy butter under the pastry to make them super rich. None of the mincemeats I tested listed any animal products, but I’ve noted the few that declared themselves as vegetarian.
Robertson’s Mincemeat Classic
£1.60 for 411g, Asda
Bland and sweet. I can see the fruit but I can’t taste it. Quite runny once heated, meaning there’s a risk of fruit fallout in pies.
Score: 1/5
Co-op Mincemeat
Sweet, bland and very unremarkable, but with a mix of size and colour of dried fruit. Good to pep up with lots of extra spice and brandy.
Score: 2/5
Read more: Best supermarket mince pies for 2020
Waitrose & Partners Christmas Mincemeat
Lots of gloop – apple purée is second only to sugar on the list of ingredients. An acid kick to balance a lot of sweetness. Has Vegetarian Society certification.
Score: 2/5
M&S Mincemeat
£1.50 for 510g, Ocado
Loaded with spice (nutmeg and cloves singing out especially) and with flavour reminiscent of boiled sweets. Decent texture apart from odd mealy pellets of candied peel. Labelled “suitable for vegetarians”.
Score: 2/5
Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Matured mincemeat
Boozy, and mellow with a nice balance of fruit-to-gloop in this premium own brand, and some crunchy slivers of nut. A good all-rounder.
Score: 3/5
Wilkin & Sons Tiptree mincemeat
£2.99 for 312g, tiptree.com
Densely fruity with almost no gloop (apple is well down the list of ingredients) and an orangey, well-matured flavour with a slightly sherberty tang. Not much variation in colour of fruit.
Score: 4/5
Tesco Finest Ruby Port Mincemeat
Plump fruit in a good mix of colour and size. The flavour is faintly medicinal in a good way (maybe down to the fennel seed and sweet potato). Labelled “Suitable for vegans”.
Score: 4/5
Rosebud Preserves Almond and Orange Mincemeat
£5.35 for 340g, rosebudpreserves.co.uk
Packed with bright citrus flavour, admirably low on sweetness and no spice. Tastes truly home-made, with crunchy nuts.
Score: 5/5
Mrs Darlington’s Marvellous Mincemeat with Brandy
£2.79 for 410g, mrsdarlingtons.com
There’s real oomph to this one. Dark and distinctive, this is a mincemeat for connoisseurs, with lots of black treacle.
Score: 5/5
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