2016 - Harrods - Christmas - Alcohol-free Cranberry and Clementine Mince Pies

Most likely my last review of the year, but time to end with a banger! Harrods are back to defend their top spot on our ultimate leader board of all time great mince pies. The mince pies are not quite the same; the addition of clementine to thier mincemeat means these need to be re-assessed.... for you of course.

2016 - Waitrose Christmas - 6 All Butter Mince Pies

Following on from the success of Heston and Waitrose's partnership, lets see if Waitrose, when left to their own devices, can be equally as good, or whether they need some help to make a decent mince pie

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Well, what can I say. Its been such a busy few months, that the Administration has had to take a back seat this year. For this I can only apologise.

However, despite the lack of reviews this season, it did not mean that my eyes were not on the mince pies that were available. After my annoyance at Sainsbury's lack of any effort, I noticed they were not alone, there were many other companies that had made no effort. This is very disappointing.

I hope to see some improvement next year, but if not, I may amalgamate previous years mince pies into one overall greatest mince pie leader board, and only review the pies that have changed from previous years. Sound good?

While I cannot crown a winning mince pie for 2014, I wish you all a fantastic Christmas and a very merry New Year.

I hope 2015 brings you even more mince pies and a whole load of new reviews to make up for this year.

Morrisons Festive Mince Pies

Okay, so I've already done one from Morrison's but I saw this eye catching box and just couldn't resist. I love mince pies don't you know!

Harrods - Walnut and Honey Mince Pies

I was in London yesterday attending a friends birthday celebrations. I don't venture into London very often, so took the opportunity to visit Harrods and pick up some of their mince pies. Now, you will notice that I did not buy last year's winners, the alcohol free cranberry mince pies as they were exactly the same; from box design to ingredients.

Sainsbury's - Christmas by Sainsbury's - 6 Deep Mince Pies

The moment I saw these on the shelves I know this was going to be a short review. So, lets not waste any more time than I have to.

Aldi - Specially Selected - 6 Mince Pies

Last year's very close runner up is back to see if they can take over that top spot from Harrods. Have Aldi kept with the same recipe, or have they tried something new. Lets find out.

Morrisons - Signature - All Butter Deep Filled Mince Pies

I thought I'd change things up this year and buy a mince pie from the Morrisons Signature range. I'm beginning to notice that many of the standard mince pies from the big supermarkets are all very similar. Lets see if their premium range is worth the extra pennies.

Mr Kipling - Exceedingly Merry - 6 Mince Pies

Mr Kipling always seems to be one of the first mince pies of the season I try. Maybe I have high hopes for it, or it is just a good bench mark to start the season off with? Lets see how it fairs.

And the Winner is.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We are proud to announce that The Mince Pie Administration's top rated mince pie for 2013 with an amazing score of 90.7 out of 100 is.... [insert drum roll here].....

Udi's Gluten Free - Mince Pies

The first (and most likely last) time this year we'll see a gluten free mince pie on this blog! Udi's Gluten Free have stormed the UK from across the pond (USA) with their range of Gluten free foods to help those suffering from Coeliac disease, gluten sensitivities or for people who generally want to cut gluten from their diet for a healthier lifestyle. Udi's were kind enough to send me some of their mince pies to see how they compare to their gluten filled brothers. It's going to be a tough challenge!

Pret A Manger - Mince Pie

This was another mince pie that was hard for me to get my hands on with a store not being either where I live or where I work. Fortunately, a avid reader of the blog (my mother), was heading into London where she was kind enough to pick up a couple of these in one of the many stores dotted around the capital. A deeper mince pie than last year, but has that improved it?

Aldi - Specially Selected - 6 Luxury Mince Pies

It's here. The one that has made headlines by coming top in Which? Magazines blind taste test of mince pies of 2013. Aldi was always on our "to do" list, but unfortunately they do not have a store near my home or my place of work or along the 40 mile commute in between the two, so it has taken longer than usual to get hold of these. However, here they are. Ready for us to find out whether they really are that good.

Harvey Nichols - Twelve Mini Mince Pies

I have to be honest. I have never been to a Harvey Nichols store. In fact, I thought Harvey Nichols just sold curtains and blinds! I don't know why I thought this, but for some strange reason, this is what my mind associates with Harvey Nichols. So, I was quite shocked when a colleague brought these into the office to sample. I was even more shocked to find out how much they cost and that Harvey Nichols is quite a posh store! You'll have to read on to find out more.

Krispy Kreme - Mince Pie Doughnut

Now, this isn't strictly a mince pie, it is most certainly a doughnut. But since we have heard a lot about this, we thought we had to give it a try and see what all the fuss was about in our first unofficial review!

Lidl - Snowy Lodge - 6 Luxury Mince Pies

We've been reviewing the posh mince pies and those that come recommended recently; time to get back to the core mince pies from the now household name that is Lidl. We've skipped over their regular mince pies and gone straight for the luxury. I think we've developed a bit of a taste for the rich! Let's hope these can satisfy that craving.

BHS Deep filled Mince Pie

BHS - A great department store with plenty to things to buy like clothes, shoes, bags and mince pies? Yes, BHS have a cafe who are now selling mince pies! This revelation was stumbled upon via BHS' twitter account. We swiftly made our way to a local BHS cafe to pick up some of these little giants. Can these deep filled mince pies measure up and break into to the well established clique formed by the supermarkets?

Harrods Alcohol-Free Cranberry Mince Pies

Last year you were all treated to the review of a puff pastry mince pie from Harrods' in-store bakery. They were good, but we didn't get to try their standard, boxed mince pies. This year, I am pleased to say I braved the Saturday morning tourist and Christmas shopper traffic and squeezed into one of the busiest stores I have been to in a long time. Not being a regular Harrods shopper, I had no idea where I was going and with some general directions given to me by staff, I eventually emerged (20 mins later) with a box of these alcohol-free mince pies. I'm not sure whether there were other types of mince pies around, but due to the sheer number of people I had to negotiate around, I picked the first thing that said mince pies, paid and left.

Walkers - Glenfiddich - 8 Luxury Mincemeat Tarts

When I got the news that we might be able to get our hands on some Costco mince pies, I cannot say I wasn't a little excited. However, when you rely upon someone who takes mince pies for granted, you end up with Walkers Glenfiddich 8 Luxury Mincemeat Tarts! We shall make every effort to get hold of a Costco mince pie this year, but in the meantime, there is no reason to let these go to waste. Let's welcome this unexpected newcomer to the blog.

Duchy Originals from Waitrose - Organic Mince Pies

Okay, I promise this is the last box of mince pies from Waitrose! I picked these up simply because they said these mince pies are organic. It seemed interesting, I won't lie. Do organic mince pies taste any different? Anything special? Lets find out.