Asda and Iceland’s 33p mince pies beat posh rivals Waitrose and M&S in Which? Best Buy survey (but ‘claggy’ Sainsbury’s come last)
- Budget supermarkets Iceland and Asda came out top in the Which? taste test
- Beat competition from M&S, Waitrose, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons and Co-op
- Sainsbury’s and Morrisons received the lowest scores and attracted some scathing remarks from the judges who branded the former’s ‘claggy’ and ‘stale’
Budget supermarkets Asda and Iceland came out on top in a blind Christmas taste test conducted by consumer brand Which? – while Sainsbury’s and Morrisons scored the lowest.
The Asda Extra Special Mince Pies, priced at £1.75 for six (or 29p per pie) lived up to their name, scoring a 73 per cent rating for their flavour, texture and appearance.
The Which? panel noted their ‘crisp’ and ‘buttery’ pastry and the intricate design of the Asda pies, with one panelist saying it would ‘lure them in’.
Meanwhile Iceland’s Luxury All Butter Mince Pies (£1.89 for six – 31p per pie) were rated just as highly for their taste, aroma and texture, and also bagged a rating of 73 per cent.
The Asda Extra Special Mince Pies, priced at £1.75 for six (or 29p per pie) lived up to their name, scoring a 73 per cent rating for their flavour, texture and appearance
Iceland’s Luxury All Butter Mince Pies (£1.89 for six – 31p per pie) were rated just as highly for their taste, aroma and texture, and also bagged a rating of 73 per cent
One panelist told Which? these pies ‘tasted like a more expensive product’. Iceland also fared well in the Good Housekeeping annual taste test, coming a close second to High Street chain Costa Coffee with a score of 87/100.
As a result of coming out on top, both received a coveted Which? Best Buy award.
Tesco Finest All Butter Mince Pies (£1.75 for six – 29p per pie) narrowly missed out on a Best Buy award, winning a 72 per cent rating.
While these pies delivered and the pastry was described as ‘melt in the mouth’ by one taster, a few panellists were less keen on the firmer filling.
| BRAND | SCORE % | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Asda Extra Special Mince Pies | 73 | £1.75 for 6 |
| Iceland’s Luxury All Butter Mince Pies | 73 | £1.89 for 6 |
| Tesco Finest All Butter Mince Pies | 72 | £1.75 for 6 |
| M&S Collection Mince Pies | 71 | £2.50 for 6 |
| Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies | 68 | £1.49 for 6 |
| Lidl Deluxe All Butter Mince Pies | 68 | £1.49 for 6 |
| Waitrose No 1 All Butter Mince Pies | 68 | £2.50 for 6 |
| Co-op Irresistible All-butter Mince Pies | 66 | £2 for 6 |
| Spar Luxury All Butter Mince Pies | 66 | £2 for 6 |
| Morrisons The Best Mince Pies | 64 | £2 for 6 |
| Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mince Pies | 58 | £2 for 6 |
Down at the bottom of the table, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mince Pies (£2 for six – 33p per pie) fared worst in the taste tests
Morrisons The Best Mince Pies (£2 for six – 33p per pie) were also a disappointment, managing a score of just 64 per cent, with more than half the panel describing them as ‘too dark’
M&S Collection mince pies (£2.50 for six – 41p per pie) were some of the pricier pies included in the taste tests, but these had some of the best pastry sampled, as well as scoring well for flavour.
The luxurious pies received a not-too-shabby rating of 71 per cent.
Down at the bottom of the table, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mince Pies (£2 for six – 33p per pie) fared worst in the taste tests.
They earned a distinctly average 58 per cent score, with some scathing panelists admitting they found them ‘claggy’ and thought they tasted ‘stale’ and ‘overcooked’.
Spar, which recorded its first win in BBC Good Food Magazine’s blind taste test last month, was third from bottom, scoring 66 per cent
Morrisons The Best Mince Pies (£2 for six – 33p per pie) were also a disappointment, managing a score of just 64 per cent, with more than half the panel describing them as ‘too dark’.
Spar, which recorded its first win in BBC Good Food Magazine’s blind taste test last month, was third from bottom, scoring 66 per cent.
The Which? mince pie panel this year consisted of 64 consumers who broadly represent the demographic make-up of the UK, and regularly consume mince pies.
Harry Rose, editor of Which? Magazine, said: ‘Nothing tastes more festive than a delicious warm and crumbly mince pie straight from the oven, and while this year Christmas might be a little different, we want to make sure that at least your mince pies don’t disappoint.’