Price: £4.00 for a box of 6 (04/11/2024)
Marks and Spencer, or M&S as they are commonly known, have a reputation for high quality food. Their ‘collection’ range is their premium line of products, so I had high expectations for these mince pies. The hefty £4 price tag only served to elevate those expectations yet further, for these are the most expensive mince pies that I have reviewed so far.
The text on the box describes them as ‘melt in the mouth all butter shortcrust pastry made with a blend of wheat flour and Wildfarmed flour, deep filled with vine fruits, cranberries, clementine and Cognac‘.
Design wise, they are some of the most intricately decorated mince pies to have found their way onto my plate this year. The lid takes the form of a twelve pointed star bedecked with festive foliage. There’s a small, star-shaped hole in the centre, which is presumably to allow hot air to escape when they are being heated up.
Cold Taste Test
First impressions were good. The pastry is crisp and crumbly with a nice hint of the butter. The mincemeat filling is dark in colour, moist and packed with juicy fruit. The pie cases are filled to a reasonable level. It’s a tasty mincemeat recipe with a traditional flavour. There’s a lot to like about these M&S Collection Mince pies.
Hot Taste Test
The pies are just as tasty when heated up for 10 to 15 seconds in a microwave. The pastry softens a little and the citrus flavour of the mincemeat is more in evidence. I’m sure they’d be even nicer if heated in a conventional oven or even an air fryer.
Verdict
There’s no doubt that these are quality mince pies. They’re a cut above the average supermarket mince pie. However, they’re not as special as I expected a premium M&S creation to be. I don’t think they quite justify their eye-watering price tag. If they were priced at £2.50 for example, I would have no problem lauding them as some of the best on the market. Given that they cost more than twice as much as many of their rivals, I can’t say that they represent great value for money. They’re good, but they’re not twice as good as the competition and at this price I certainly won’t be buying them regularly.
Nutrition
Typical values (per 100g):
- Energy: 392 kcal
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Saturates: 9.2 g
- Carbohydrate: 61.3 g
- Of which sugars: 37.6 g
- Fibre : 2.7 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Salt: 0.25 g