WHICH? has revealed the winners of its annual Christmas mince pie tast test, with Tesco and Co-op included among the winners.
Their general public testing panel blind-tasted seven premium mince pies from all the biggest supermarkets, including Aldi, M&S, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
Pies were rated not only on flavour, but also on texture, aroma and appearance.
The taste test was blind, so the panellists didn’t know which brand they were trying.
Additionally, the order they sampled the mince pies in was fully rotated to avoid any bias.
Who aced all the pies? The results are in on our annual mince pie taste test.https://t.co/6buhJ5wHU2
— Which? (@WhichUK) November 18, 2021
The Which? 2021 mince pie taste test winners
It ended up being a three-way tie at the top between Tesco, Co-op and Iceland for the best premium supermarket mince pie.
They all scored 75% in the testing ratings.
Tesco’s Finest All Butter Pastry Mince Pies cost £2 for a pack of six and proved popular in all categories, with one Which? tester saying the brandy and port infused filling was "comforting".
Co-op's Irresistible All Butter Luxury Mince Pies were also £2 for a pack of six. They were commended for their flavours and star-topped pastry casings.
Iceland also appeared on top of the list for the second year in a row, with their Luxury All Butter Mince Pies being slightly cheaper at £1.89 a pack.
Dusted with sugar and featuring yuzu juice and cider, these zesty treats were a hit with the tasters.
The Which? 2021 mince pie taste test losers
None of the pies tested were close to be being "considered bad" by Which? but there does have to be a set that finishes bottom.
The mince pies from Sainsbury's and Aldi only scored slightly lower than the winners at 69%, but criticism came in for lacking "punch" in their taste.
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