Price: £2.95 for a box of 6 (23/11/2024)
This is Co-op’s premium mince pie variety. They have a slightly unusual splodge shaped pastry lid with gaps around the edge and in the centre to let heat escape during cooking. They are decorated with an eight point star and they are described on the box as ‘filled with a rich spiced fruit and brandy mincemeat‘.
The details provided on the rear of the packaging describe them as ‘all butter pastry filled with mincemeat made with vine fruits, apple, brandy and port and topped with a sweet dusting’. They are suitable for vegetarians, but unfortunately they do contain palm oil.
Cold Taste Test
The pastry is of average thickness, has a good, buttery taste and a nice crisp and crumbly texture, making it one of the better mince pie pastries on the market for Christmas 2024. There’s a reasonable amount of mincemeat filling packed with plenty of juicy fruit. It’s definitely one of the more alcoholic flavoured mincemeats that I’ve sampled this year, which may not be to everyone’s taste.
Hot Taste Test
When microwaved for 14 seconds at 750W the pastry becomes a bit softer and stodgier. Oven cooking is of course preferable for preserving or even enhancing the pastry texture. I preferred the flavour of the mincemeat when warmed up.
Verdict
Although these are undoubtedly good mince pies, I don’t think that they are quite up there with the very best of their competition in the UK luxury mince pie market in 2024. I did really like the mincemeat when it was warm, so I think they probably come into their own when oven heated. They are definitely a strong contender if you are planning on serving hot mince pies at your Christmas gathering.
Nutrition
Typical values (per 100g):
- Energy: 378 kcal
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturates: 8.5 g
- Carbohydrate: 62 g
- Of which sugars: 35 g
- Fibre : 1.5 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Salt: 0.07 g