Mince pies are an essential part of the Christmas experience and something I always look forward to when supermarkets start stocking them again.
The sweet treats are enjoyed by many around the UK, and Brits eat approximately 800 million of them each year.
Whether you enjoy it warm with some cream on the side, or are a bit of a maverick and have it with a bit of cheese, there's always plenty to choose from.
With every supermarket producing its own version of mince pies, the eternal question might come to many on which is the best one for this year.
Supermarkets produce their own versions of mince pies, but which is the best? (Image: Newsquest)
So, let's put that to the test then shall we?
I taste-tested mince pies from Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, Lidl, Co-op, Tesco and M&S to see which one I felt was most worth going out to get.
The prospect of eating seven festive mince pies in one sitting did seem a bit daunting, even to someone who adores them, so I invited my Mum to help out and give her views as well for a bit of balance.
In terms of rules for the test, we simply had half a mince pie each, which was served cold without any additional bits to go with it.
Additionally, all the mince pies purchased were the regular versions of the supermarket offerings, rather than 'deluxe' versions.
Here's what we found out.
The M&S mince pies were highly rated (Image: Newsquest)
We started off the taste test with the most expensive one at M&S, with a pack of six Classic All Butter mince pies costing £2.50.
It was a strong way to open off proceedings with both myself and my Mum rating it highly.
The pastry was crisp, it wasn't overly sweet and was overall balanced very well.
Mum: 4/5
Myself: 4/5
Co-op's mince pies were just rather bland (Image: Newsquest)
Co-op might not be the first place people will think of to go for mince pies, but perhaps its relative lack of punch compared to the big leagues also reflects in its mince pies.
Both my Mum and I felt it was just okay, perhaps erring on the side of being a bit bland.
Wholly unremarkable, but still an okay option if you have one just round the corner from you.
Mum: 3/5
Myself: 3/5
Lid's Favorina mince pies were priced at £1.25 for six (Image: Newsquest)
Before purchasing the various mince pies I assumed that Lidl might offer the cheapest pack, so I was quite surprised when it turned out to be right in the middle.
Coming in at £1.25 for its Favorina mince pies, it was more expensive than Aldi, Asda and Tesco.
In terms of the taste it was well-received by both of us, with Mum making note of the delicious little bits of candied peel and the soft yet distinctive pastry.
Mum: 4/5
Me: 3.5/5
Asda's mince pies were unfortunately a little bland (Image: Newsquest)
Now onto the big guns of Asda, which was actually the joint-cheapest with Aldi and Tesco at £1.09 per pack.
Perhaps surprisingly they were a bit bland with Mum finding the pastry to be too buttery.
Mum: 2.5/5
Myself: 2.5/5
Tesco's Merry Mince Pies were unfortunately a bit sloppy (Image: Newsquest)
Tesco was another one of the big league supermarkets, and whilst the price of the mince pies was surprisingly low the quality didn't quite reach the heights of some of the other options.
Whilst the pastry was solid, the mincemeat was quite sloppy and we both found it to be rather disappointing.
Mum: 2.5/5
Myself: 2.5/5
Morrisons had the second-most expensive mince pies of the ones reviewed (Image: Newsquest)
Morrisons proved to be the second-most expensive of the mince pies at £1.45 for a pack of six, but it was certainly worth it.
It came together as a really flavoursome and balanced sweet treat, earning the descriptor of "Rich & Fruity" on its box.
Mum: 4/5
Myself: 4/5
Aldi's mince pies had proven difficult to find (Image: Newsquest)
We finished up the taste test with Aldi, whose mince pies had proved difficult to procure.
On no less than three occasions did I and other family members make the trip to our local before there were finally some on the shelves to buy.
Clearly, they are a popular item among shoppers but would the taste live up to the wait it had taken to get them.
Thankfully dear reader I can say it did.
Whilst it might not have quite reached the heights of the contributions provided by M&S and Morrisons its quality mincemeat and soft pastry made it a pleasant experience to eat.
Mum: 4/5
Myself: 3.5/5
In the end, whilst most of the supermarket mince pies were pleasant enough, two stood out the most for their quality.
M&S and Morrisons were worthy joint-winners, and although they were the two most expensive of the bunch, it was clear it was worth the slight extra cost.
Aldi and Lidl were not far behind also, so if you want to spend a little less then they are also worth buying.
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