Best Mince Pies 2025: Supermarket Taste Test Winners

Christmas 2025 taste tests pitting supermarket mince pies against each other reveal a fragmented verdict—no single winner dominates across all panels. Five different expert groups named five different champions, leaving buyers to decide which methodology matches their priorities.

Top Ranked Classic: Aldi Specially Selected · Saga #1: Aldi Specially Selected · Liverpool Guild #1: Tesco Finest Brandy Buttercream · Good Housekeeping Artisan: Luxury Butter · Ireland Winner: Avoca

Who has the best mince pie in 2025?

The honest answer depends entirely on which test you trust—and why. The Kitchen Draw put 24 supermarket pies through knockout rounds, judging them heated for five minutes on pastry quality, flavour of mince, and overall balance. That format rewards pies that hold their structure when warm, a detail most other tests overlook.

The Good Housekeeping Institute took a different approach, blind-testing 55 pies across classic and gluten-free categories. Their panel assessed aroma, appearance, and flavour without knowing which brand they were tasting. The Luxury Butter Mince Pies 6pk landed at number one in that assessment, a position The Kitchen Draw never tested against.

Overall winners from expert tests

Five different panels, five different champions: Waitrose won The Kitchen Draw knockout, Sainsbury’s took the TopCashback taste-and-consistency crown, Luxury Butter topped the Good Housekeeping blind test, Tesco Finest Brandy Buttercream won the Liverpool Guild student poll, and Avoca prevailed in Ireland. For buyers, this means picking a test that matches your priority: if pastry structure when heated matters, The Kitchen Draw winner leads. If raw taste from a cold packet matters more, the TopCashback results point elsewhere.

Top supermarket entries

The Kitchen Draw’s head-to-head format revealed some clear relationships: Aldi Specially Selected knocked out Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference, Lidl Favorina beat Asda Joyous in the budget bracket, and Tesco Finest defeated Co-op Merry Mince Pies. These direct comparisons matter when two products are sitting next to each other on the shelf.

The pattern is consistent: premium lines from M&S, Tesco, and Waitrose dominate the upper rankings across multiple tests. Budget options—particularly from Iceland and Lidl—rank well for value but rarely take overall wins. Aldi sits in the middle: strong in knockout formats but placed fourth in TopCashback’s scoring system.

What supermarket has the best mince pies this year?

No single supermarket swept all categories, but the spread of results reveals which retailers punch above their weight. The Kitchen Draw knockout showed Waitrose, Tesco, and M&S premium lines advancing furthest. TopCashback’s scoring system—combining taste and price—gave Sainsbury’s the win at £1.25 per pack, with Iceland and Lidl close behind despite lower absolute scores.

The comparison below aggregates results across the major 2025 tests, with links to each source for readers wanting to dig deeper into methodology.

Aldi vs Lidl vs Tesco rankings

Aldi Specially Selected All Butter placed fourth in TopCashback’s 2025 rankings with a score of 5.7 out of 15, priced at £2.25 per pack. The same product performed well in The Kitchen Draw knockout but didn’t reach the final rounds. Lidl Favorina scored 10.5 out of 15 in TopCashback testing at £1.25 for six pies, earning praise for value rather than outright taste. Tesco Finest won the Liverpool Guild student poll with its Brandy Buttercream variant, though the same line beat Co-op in The Kitchen Draw head-to-head matchups.

The Kitchen Draw taste test judges assess pies on flavour of mince, pastry quality, texture consistency, and filling generosity—heating each sample for five minutes to replicate Christmas Day conditions.

M&S and Waitrose positions

M&S Collection All Butter beat Iceland’s standard mince pies in The Kitchen Draw quarter-finals, while Waitrose No.1 6 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac eliminated Greggs Sweet Mince Pie in the same round. However, Waitrose’s standard All Butter variant went on to win the entire knockout, marking the second consecutive year it has claimed The Kitchen Draw title. That kind of repeat performance suggests consistency in the recipe, something the other tests haven’t tracked longitudinally.

TopCashback testers found Sainsbury’s mince pies delivered the best balance of taste and consistency, with the retailer also cutting prices from £1.70 to £1.25 during 2025.

How good are Aldi mince pies?

Aldi Specially Selected All Butter Mince Pies occupy an interesting middle ground in 2025 testing. They performed solidly in knockout formats—knocking out Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference in The Kitchen Draw—but landed fourth in TopCashback’s scoring system, a reversal that reflects how much methodology shapes the verdict.

Aldi Perfect Christmas Deep Filled review

The Deep Filled variant earned particular praise in several 2025 reviews, with reviewers noting generous filling as a point of difference from the standard range. The all-butter pastry received positive comments for flakiness, though some testers noted it softened more quickly than competitors when heated. At £2.25 per pack, the Specially Selected line sits above budget tier but below premium pricing from M&S and Waitrose.

Specially Selected All Butter ranking

The Specially Selected All Butter variant placed fourth in TopCashback’s 2025 scoring, dropping from a prior-year win in that same test. In The Kitchen Draw knockout, however, the same product advanced past Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference before being eliminated before the final rounds. The implication: Aldi’s all-butter formula holds up well in head-to-head heated comparisons but trails competitors on raw cold-tasting scores that TopCashback prioritises.

Are Lidl mince pies any good?

Lidl Favorina mince pies scored 10.5 out of 15 in TopCashback’s 2025 testing at a price of £1.25 for six pies. The result placed Lidl close behind Iceland despite a lower absolute score, with testers praising the value proposition rather than standout taste. In The Kitchen Draw knockout format, Lidl Favorina beat Asda Joyous in a direct budget-tier matchup.

Lidl Favorina 6 Mince Pies position

The 6-pie pack format makes Lidl Favorina one of the most affordable options tested, though the quantity differs from standard 6-pie packs at other retailers. At that price point, the pies delivered consistent pastry and adequate mince filling according to TopCashback’s methodology. The catch: budget pricing means compromises on premium ingredients that separate top performers from the middle tier.

Taste test feedback

Testers noted Lidl Favorina performed reliably rather than memorably. The pastry held together adequately, and the mince filling provided standard seasonal flavour without the depth found in premium alternatives. For shoppers prioritising cost over culinary experience, Lidl delivers acceptable quality at the lowest price tested.

Best mince pies 2025 where to buy?

Geographic availability varies across the UK, with most major supermarkets stocking the top performers from these tests. Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Co-op, Aldi, Lidl, and Iceland all carry their respective entries nationwide, while smaller specialty retailers like Avoca limit distribution to specific regions.

Tesco, Iceland, London spots

Tesco Finest Brandy Buttercream emerged as the top performer in the Liverpool Guild student poll, reflecting preferences among younger buyers in the North West. The product is available across all Tesco stores nationwide. Iceland’s mince pies placed second in TopCashback’s rankings, and the chain’s frozen-food expertise extends to year-round availability of its seasonal range. London buyers have additional access to premium artisan options including Luxury Butter pies, which Good Housekeeping ranked number one in blind testing.

Ireland options

Avoca emerged as the Ireland-specific winner across 2025 testing, with the retailer dominating local taste panels. Irish buyers can find Avoca mince pies in the chain’s bakery sections, with availability extending across Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland locations. The win reflects regional preferences that UK-focused tests do not capture.