NO Christmas party is complete without some quintessentially British mince pies. In the spirit of giving, the entire Glass team happily sacrificed themselves during our Christmas party to try out this year’s luxury mince pies, just so you don’t have to. This sweet pastry filled with a blend of dried fruits and spices is an absolute Christmas staple. From classic to luxury to vegan to gluten-free, an array of mince pies were displayed and sampled. Here’s the verdict.
What started out as a fun dining activity, quickly turned into a battle of the mince pies with everybody rooting for their favourites …
Bettys Classic Mince Pies
Bettys and Taylors Classic Mince Pies
The first pies to be tried by the critical taste buds of the team were Bettys and Taylors Classic Mince Pies, the packaging already put us in the Christmas spirit, with cosy illustrations of festive gift giving by York artist Emily Sutton. But back to the star – quite literally – of the evening: the mince pies. The presentation was as you would expect any mince pie to be – with the classic star and the sherry-soaked filling peeping through. The all-butter pastry melts in your mouth and is balanced by zesty filling, giving it that extra punch when the stem ginger kicks in.
“This is definitely one of the sweeter mince pies, with a crumbly pastry topped of with the cute traditional star. A classic.” — Emma Hart, Editorial Assistant.
Bettys and Taylors Classic Mince Pies, £10 for a box of 12 are available here.
Dunn’s Traditional Puff Pastry Mince Pies – A Glass Favourite
Dunn’s Traditional Puff Pastry Mince Pies
Taking the shape of a Yorkshire pudding rather than a mince pie, these magnificent pies were the talk of the evening. They look and tasted absolutely divine, going so far as converting some mince pie sceptics into liking them. This change of heart can be ascribed to the use of puff pastry instead of the traditional all-butter pastry. But it was our Art Director who couldn’t stop talking about the wonders of this mince pie.
“Absolutely delicious, you taste each layer of the puff pastry. It’s crunchy yet at the same time buttery and moist.” — Peter Roden, Glass Art Director.
Dunn’s Mince Pies, £8.80 for a box of eight are available here.
Gail’s mince pies — A Glass Favourite
GAIL’s Mince Pies
The luxury mince pies from London based bakery Gail’s was another Glass favourite. The fabulously golden pastry, delicately sprinkled with sugar had a neat finishing, as did the packaging. Definitely one of the more boozy mince pies of the evening. The shortbread pastry hit that sweet spot between crunchy yet moist, no soggy bottom’s here.
“Golden, succulent with the mincemeat being so minced to the point it wasn’t bitty and was almost as smooth as jam. A mince pie being what it is, a very well made pastry with a Christmas gift inside.” — Katrina Minpuri, Glass writer
GAIL’s Mince Pies, £8.75 for a box of six available here
Abel & Cole Luxury Mince Pies
The Abel & Cole Luxury mince pies are definitely the most rustic looking of the bunch. What sets these mince pies apart is the punch you get from the cognac and the use of organic apples from the beautiful county of Herefordshire. The delicious buttery pastry was filled to the brim with some of the filling even oozing over top.
“Buttery goodness that melted in the mouth, with beautifully spiced mincemeat that wasn’t overpowering. A very rich treat.” — Lupe Baeyens, Editorial Assistant
Abel & Cole Luxury mince pies, £5.75 for a box of four, available here.
Hobbs House Bakery, all butter mince pies – A Glass Favourite
Hobbs House Bakery all butter mince pies
Much like GAIL’s mince pies, these had a quite shallow pasty casing, but how looks can deceive. The filling is dark, zesty and very rich perfectly blending with the sweet pastry.
“Delicious buttery pastry that crumbled in my mouth, the best mince pie I’ve had all year. It’s fruity and sweet and I just can’t get enough, so I ate two.” — Sheridan Ward, LA correspondent
Hobbs House Bakery Mince Pies, £5.25 for a box of six, available here.
Hobbs House Bakery, gluten-free mince pies – A Glass Favourite
Hobbs House Bakery gluten-free mince pies
A less popular option yet very crucial mince pie was the gluten free mince pies from Hobbs. A blessing for the gluten-free mince pie lover out there as this pastry was nothing shy from an absolute miracle.
“Tasting exactly the same as a traditional mince pie, this is a wonderful alternative for people on a gluten-free diet. The filling is wonderfully spiced and had a zesty kick to it.” — Nicola Kavanagh, Creative Director, Glass
Hobbs House Bakery gluten-free Mince Pies, £5.55 for a box of 6, available here.
Riverford Organic Vegan mince pies
Riverford Vegan mince pies
Even vegans don’t have to shy away from mince pies this year now that Riverford’s organic and vegan mince pies are here. Making a vegan alternative for the crucial all-butter pastry sounds impossible, but by using organic coconut oil, as an alternative to butter, Riverford managed to make the impossible possible, and their pastry miraculously melts in the mouth.
“A beautiful mince pie with a crumbly pastry, a perfect alternative for anybody that’s vegan, or wants to turn vegan. Much appreciated the fact that these pies came in paper cups instead of plastic ones too.”— Hannah Valentine, Editorial Assistant
Riverford Vegan mince pies, £5.25 for a box of 6, available here.
Daylesford Organic mince pies
Daylesford Organic mince pies
Daylesford’s organic mince pies, came fashionable late to the party but a pie this good was worth the wait. Dusted with powdered sugar, reminding you of freshly fallen snow, these mince pies were an absolute treat to the eye, and the taste buds.
“These mince pies were beautifully sweet. The crystallised ginger in the mincemeat added a surprisingly festive kick. Absolutely perfect!” — Lucy May McCracken, Editorial Assistant
Daylesford mince pies, £7.99 for a box of six, available here.
by Lupe Baeyens
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