Mince Pie Appreciation

Think there must be a pic from me about a year ago in this thread.
The trouble with Chatsworth bakehouse is they have been a victim of their own success and hype, they opened up a extra shop a few doors down with more ovens and split the unobtainable sandwiches that sell out in seconds online and baked goods but the queues at weekends are huge.
I reserved the pie slices and basque cheesecake online so just had a short queue to collect, I sometimes wander down midweek at 12:30-1 and only have a few people in front of me, last time it was Guinness cake and a marmite and cheese milk bun. The cookies I can live without but the other stuff has been some of the best bakes ever. I buy from Bunhead bakery in HH but Chatsworth takes the top spot.
So unless you are prepared to journey down to SE19 it’s probably not going to happen and I’m sure there are some epic goods nearer to you, pophams? Toklas? St John do an Eccles cake that I have travelled across town for, I see they do mince pies too.

Edit:found the pic of basque cheesecake and mince pie slice

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God, that mince pie slice has me salivating!

I feel like there could be a whole thread dedicated to St John’s Eccles cake served with sharp cheddar

Yes and a glass of Becker Gewürztraminer to go with them.

These are great

Just got on the Aldi Ultimate train - they're fucking great

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Coleman’s Deli, Hathersage. Pastry far too crumbly and a little claggy, but the filling is bang on - big bits of whole fruit, excellent booze levels, and a nice bit of crunch from some pieces of whole nut. Perfect mid-ride treat, will return for more.

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wee bit of stilton on top of a hot mince pie. bosh

my favourites this year so far are sainsbury’s mini mincers. nice and buttery and don’t overstay their welcome

The Landrace offering this year - fantastic pastry, crumbly on biting but holds structure very well. Very well filled (no air gap) and mincemeat delicious but could probably use a splash more booze. Overall 9/10.

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Damn! Looks excellent.

Todays haul

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Very good indeed. Normally consumed warmed, drowned in cream and with a flat white accompaniment but alas their cafe is in flux at the moment so will have to wait for next year.

Air fryer - quick, no preheating required.

That is quite the load

Title of your sex tape.

Tesco Finest* Crumble Topped are shit. Don’t be suckered in by the £1.75 offer.

Think of a 5mm thick cheap shortbread biscuit base topped with a thin layer of mincemeat, then sprinkled with a coarse ‘crumb’ of the same cheap shortbread biscuit. It’s that.

Double cream with one teaspoon of brandy butter on each.

Brand cream is acceptable, brandy sauce is wholly unacceptable…a true abomination

Fortitude still reigns supreme in the London’s expensive mince pie wars (north of the river).

That said I think that at £2 a pop the Pavillion mince pies are best value.

If you are out East then I would recommend Ancient Grains in Forest Gate as a less well known mince pie.

brandy sauce is wholly unacceptable…a true abomination

No way, man. Brandy sauce is ace, especially home-made ☝️

A small reprieve for Greggs. The filling is way too sweet, no spice, but the pastry isn't as dry as I remember. Not great, not terrible 3.6 Mincentgen

I've just been to Gregg's for the 7th or 8th time this year, and have yet to see a single fucking mince pie. I don't believe they actually sell them any more.

All I've had this year has been a box of the Tesco Plant Kitchen ones, and you might as well not bother.

It's been worth the cost of buying off the Gregg's Tunbridge delivery driver to 'lose' all the mince pies on his round.

the Gregg's Tunbridge delivery driver

kl lives in Tonbridge, though. :)

I can't tell the difference with his Kentish accent.

No your a Kent etc and so on

I have also fruitlessly tried Greggs in Tunbridge Wells and London Bridge in recent weeks tho...