In a surprising festive showdown, a budget supermarket mince pie has been crowned champion, beating the iconic Mr Kipling version and a premium offering from Marks & Spencer. The comprehensive taste test, conducted in December 2025, compared standard boxes from seven major UK retailers on both price and flavour.
The Festive Taste Test Contenders
The parenting editor, Zoe Chamberlain, enlisted her children to sample mince pies from Tesco, M&S, Asda, Aldi, Sainsbury's, Lidl, and Morrisons. The goal was to find the best combination of taste and value, steering clear of speciality ranges to keep the comparison fair. The results delivered a clear and unexpected winner that challenges preconceptions about quality and cost.
Mr Kipling's offering, priced at £2.14 for a box of six (36p per pie) from Asda, scored a respectable 4 out of 5. The pastry was praised for being lovely and crumbly, with a deliciously spiced, squishy filling. However, critics noted it wasn't filled to the top and was considered a bit too sweet.
The Surprising Supermarket Winner
The top honours went to Lidl's Mince Pies, which achieved a perfect 5-star rating. Costing just £1.25 for six (21p each), they were lauded for their amazing filling. The testers found the mincemeat to be perfectly spiced, packed with juicy fruit and a delicious sauce, all encased in a homemade-tasting pastry that wasn't overly sweet.
This victory means Lidl's box is nearly £1 cheaper than Mr Kipling's and a substantial £1.75 less than the M&S version. The M&S pies, the most expensive at £3 for six (50p each), ironically scored the lowest with just 1 star, criticised for a sickly, buttery pastry that overpowered the filling.
How The Other Supermarkets Fared
The test revealed a mixed bag of results from the other contenders. Morrisons' pies, also 21p each, earned a solid 4 stars for their deep-filled, sharp fruit and crumbly pastry. Tesco's Merry Mince Pies (21p) and Aldi's offering (21p) both received 3 stars, with Tesco's criticised for overpowering orange peel and Aldi's for a sauce-heavy filling.
Sainsbury's and Asda found themselves at the lower end of the spectrum. Sainsbury's pies (21p) scored 2 stars for cloying pastry and insufficient filling, while Asda's iced mince pies (33p each, as the regular version was sold out) also got 2 stars for overly sweet icing and bland pastry.
The Final Verdict for Christmas 2025
The conclusion was emphatic. Lidl was the clear winner, triumphing over both the established brand leader and the luxury option. For shoppers looking for the perfect blend of authentic, homemade flavour and incredible value this Christmas, the test points to a clear destination. The winning pie proves that the best festive treat doesn't have to carry a premium price tag.
