As the festive season reaches its peak, the quest for the perfect mince pie is a serious matter for many British households. The team at The Independent's IndyBest channel has undertaken the deliciously difficult task of blind-tasting a wide selection of supermarket offerings to find the undisputed champion of 2025.
The Festive Taste Test: Methodology and Contenders
On Monday 22 December 2025, Deputy IndyBest Editor Sabrina Sahota and her panel conducted a rigorous blind taste test in The Independent's studio. They sampled nine different mince pies from major UK retailers, focusing on key criteria: the quality and flavour of the pastry, the generosity and taste of the filling, and the crucial filling-to-pastry ratio.
The selection included premium options from Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, alongside more budget-friendly picks from Lidl and Asda. Each pie was judged purely on its merits, with no knowledge of its origin, ensuring a fair and unbiased verdict on the best supermarket mince pies available this Christmas.
And the Winner Is: Morrisons' Signature Collection
Emerging as the clear standout was Morrisons The Best signature collection mince pies. Priced at £2 for a pack of two, making them £1 per pie, they were declared "the perfect mince pie" by one tester. The panel unanimously praised their nutty brown-butter pastry and a filling that achieved an ideal balance between sweet and boozy notes.
While the two-pack format makes them slightly pricier per unit than typical six-packs, testers agreed the decadence was worth it. They highlighted the deep, generous filling and pastry that tasted authentically homemade, topped with a festive star design.
Honourable Mention: A Top Contender for Value
The testers also gave a special commendation to Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference all butter mince pies. Costing £3.50 for a pack of six (approximately 58p per pie, or 29p with a Nectar card), they impressed with their rich, golden all-butter pastry and brandy-infused filling.
Food and drinks writer Emma Henderson, who tested a wide range of this year's best mince pies, singled these out as a favourite. She noted the pastry had "a really excellent creamy buttery flavour," despite being a little crumbly, and loved the intricate design perfect for Christmas party plating.
The IndyBest team's festive investigations didn't stop at mince pies. They have also conducted blind taste tests on Christmas sandwiches and mulled wine, and compiled guides on supermarket Christmas menus and holiday opening hours, ensuring readers are fully prepared for the season.
