Value for money

This week, we review mince pies

Tesco Finest Mini Mince Pies €3 for 12, €0.25 each

These are made with brandy, as are many of the other pies, but Tesco is very keen to point out that it is not any old brandy. Oh no, this is made with the finest VS Courvoisier – the word appears five times on the box. They are dinky (or fiddly) and can be eaten in a mouthful. The pastry is rich, crumbly, buttery and very sweet but we thought the ratio of pastry-to-filling was just a little off: there was too much of the former. These are a fine idea for a mulled wine party, as they are easy to eat standing up without covering yourself and the floor in crumbs. We looked for ages and couldn’t find a total weight on the box, hence the per-pie price listed here.

Verdict: Very rich

****

Walker’s Luxury Mincemeat Tarts €4.95 for 372g, €13.30 per kg

These mince pies (or tarts as the company would have it) come from a Scottish company famous for its shortbread. We expected the pastry to pay homage to Walkers’ shortbready past, but it doesn’t. There is nothing outstanding about the casing at all. These tarts are weirdly savoury and, while sugar is the dominant flavour in most of the competing pies, one of the strongest flavours here as salt. It is also the most expensive brand reviewed, although by a very slim margin, and availability might be a concern.

Verdict: Average

***

Superquinn Luxury Mince Pies €4.99 for 380g, €13.13 per kg

These mince pies are made, Superquinn tells us, by an artisan producer in Galway – so that earns them a gold star straight away. Speaking of stars, we liked the big one on top of each pie. The pastry is nice and light, but very crumbly so you can expect your pie to fall apart very quickly. We don’t reckon this is something you could eat on the hoof unless you’re super-gentle. The mincemeat is beautifully fruity and full of flavour – and not overpowered by mixed peel as with some of the mince pies.

Verdict: Top notch

*****

Aldi’s Specially Selected Mince Pies €2.49 for 368g, €6.76 per kg

We are living in lean times and these mince pies – at about half the price of the competition – will be all that many of us can stretch to this Christmas. There much worse options out there. Aldi’s mince pies are made with 2 per cent brandy and 49 per cent fruit, which makes for a perfectly pleasant taste. We liked the nice festive star too and were impressed that the pastry held its shape well. It may have done that, however, because it is on the stodgy side and maybe a bit too sweet. If you’ve had a couple of glasses of wine this will probably pass unnoticed.

Verdict: Not too bad

***