Turning tips into memories

Where to find London's most delicious mince pies

By Jen Barton Packer on 1/12/2020

No matter how different Christmas is looking in 2020, we're taking comfort in what's familiar, like the moreishness of mince pies, our favourite festive treat. Here's where we'll be snapping ours up from this December - or better yet, getting them delivered to our doors...

Best pies for kids: M&S Percymas Pies

Percy Pigs are now available in pie form, to the delight of children (and their parents) everywhere, who may not appreciate the spicy fruitiness of a traditional mince pie. Finished with a Percy Pig sweet, these have berry and grape flavour sponge, fruity grape jelly and pink fondant icing in shortcrust pastry.

Best for flakiness: Ottolenghi

What happens when you combine a high ratio of butter and enriched egg yolks with an extra-long maceration time of several months for the mincemeat, which is soaked in rum and brandy? You get Ottolenghi's flaky and utterly delicious mince pies, that's what.

Best gourmet mince pies: Skye Gyngell's Spring

Skye Gyngell’s Spring to Go mince pies come in a pack of six (£12) and are positively decadent: made from excess fruit from Fern Verrow farm that's been soaked in Armagnac, they have a crisp, golden pastry and light dusting of icing sugar. Pair with Gyngell's brandy cream, which contains Armagnac and Guernsey cream from Heckfield Home Farm.

Best vegan mince pies: Konditor

This season, look out for Konditor's vegan mince pie, filled with spiced mincemeat and featuring a flaky crust dusted with icing sugar. It's just as buttery and delectable as the original, minus the dairy. Perfect on their own, or buy as a box of six or 12.

WHERE

Various locations in London

Best meal-replacement mince pie: St. John's Bakery mince pies

Stuffed with fruit, and booze, and general deliciousness, these are substantial enough to enjoy for breakfast or lunch. Which means you can have four, naturally.

WHERE

Locations at Neal's Yard, Druid Street, Commercial Street and Smithfield

Best mince-pie present: Melrose and Morgan

Gorgeously stuffed with spiced, moreish mincemeat in crumbly vanilla pie crust, Melrose and Morgan's mince pies are well worth a trip to Primrose Hill or Hampstead.

WHERE

42 Gloucester Avenue, London NW1 8JD; Oriel Hall, Oriel Place, London NW3 1QN

Best for indulging: Bread Ahead's chunky mince pies

These are proper mince pies that have earned a well-deserved reputation as London's finest. Perfect for lovers of pastry, Bread Ahead also offers mince-pie workshops, so you can attempt to recreate this deliciousness on your own time.

WHERE

Locations in Borough Market, Beak Street and Pavilion Road

Best with frangipane: Meg Rivers Frangipane mince pies

This sweet treat from one of our favourite bakeries is sealed with frangipane and topped with flaked almonds. Yum.

Best with a French twist: Colette

French traiteur Colette has its own brand of mince pie – with vine-ripe fruits, lemon peel and subtle spice in a butter shortcrust pastry – and it can be delivered to your door (six mince pies are £8).

Best mince-pie hybrid: PAUL mince-pie croissant

See, we knew mince pies were a viable breakfast option. This croissant from PAUL (pack of four for £7.95) is filled with sweet mincemeat and dusted with icing sugar and is sure to put a seasonal spring in your step each morning.

WHERE

PAUL bakery locations

The go-to mince pie: Gail's Bakery mince pies

Best go-to mince pie: GAIL's Bakery mince pies

Gorgeously flaky, with the perfect ratio of spiced fruit filling to crumbly pastry and a wonderfully satisfying sprinkling of demerara sugar, the GAIL's mince pie is the one that cheers you up when you most need it. Thankfully, they can be purchased in packs of six to ensure you stay cheery all day long (six for £8.90).

WHERE

GAIL's Bakery locations