As a test of will power I’ve been holding off the mince pies until December the first. And now here we are and, with possibly too much excitement, I’m ready to dive in to a Sainsbury’s “SO” organic mince pie (pack of six, but I’m just going to start with one).
The packaging is much as you’d expect for a modern shop-bought pie. A standard (non-recycled) glossy cardboard box reveals a thin plastic tray. The pies are pleasing to the eye, with around the right amount of toasting to the short crust pastry. The sprinkling of sugar only cheapens the appearance. Removing the pie from the tin case reveals a firm shell, with no sagging or signs of filling leakage. So far so good.
Biting into the pie produces moderate-to-high crumb fall, and the initial taste is disappointingly of bland pastry only, despite the filling reasonably occupying the inner space, with no glaring gaps. On further tasting, the fruit filling is light but importantly succulent, with a hint of spices, and the dominant tone is that of raisins and sultanas.
In summary, a good fruit content, producing an easy-eating pie, certainly suitable for those who do not like their mince pies to be too spicy or looking for a pie to go with a light red wine. Let down only by the pastry, although there may be room for improvement here if heated in an oven at home.
This review was based on a sampling of one pie, eaten cold with coffee. It is possible to warm the pie in the oven for 8-12 minutes. Not suitable to those with nut allergies.
