OK this isn't very old style especially since there's the lovely sounding thread on Best Mince Pies Ever but we're buying mince pies this year. Any opinions on who does the nicest mince pies to buy?

I really don't like shop-bought mince pies (you can't beat homemade ones). However, i have tried a few shop ones over the years and i've got to say Marks and Spencers are the best i've tasted. (Just in case you change your mind about buying them...homemade are really quick and easy to make though...especially if you use a jar of mincemeat and i bet HM ones are cheaper to make than buy)

we buy them because we eat so few. Marks and Spencers only

I've sung at 5 concerts this year, and had various mince pies - IMHO none of them are worth buying or eating Do you have time to make some of your own - about an hour and you'll have loads and they cost about 9p each to make - you can't even buy value ones for that Penny. x

Morrisons the best mince pies are lovely too - ?2.50 for 8, not very OS but I needed to buy some for the office and I was amazed at how nice they were! On a par with M&S I feel this year. I do make them for home though - if you dont fancy the hassle then buy some ready made pastry (jus roll do some - always kept in the freezer in case of emergency in our house!) and I got some lovely mincemeat from B&M the other day, very nice it was.

i really like the morrisons or asda bakery ones.. the flatter type rather than the deeper ones. or the puff pastry ones from supermarket bakeries are usually nice too. i find tescos ones a bit rich

Tesco's finest - lovely short pastry, good amount of fillling and very boozy

According to a survey in the Sunday paper, Lidl's mince pies came out on top for everything! I have bought some from Costco (11 for ?3.90 so not cheap) and they are beautiful! The topping is a bit that on a Bakewell tart, so less pastry and really yummy!

Market kitchen did a blind taste test and ALDS's won. Not tried them myself yet. Waitrose have some miniture ones that taste homemade.

i have tried all sorts and marks and spencers win hands down. the tops are really nice as well like latticed pastry instead of just a lid. i am making my own as gifts nut if i was buying i would definitely get them, not sure how much they are though i have never bought anything from m and s, just eaten gifts/other people's food

I love iced mince pies from Sainsburys. In relation to ordinary ones as long as they are warm with cream on top I dont care who makes them lol

The lattice one from m&s are amazing. I can't be bothered with the faff of making them and I've never tasted a homemade one that tastes better than these.

I cant make homemade ones for as cheap as I can buy them especially when Asda had 12 for ?1. I make an almond pastry and a pack of butter goes in costing at least 80p. This does make about 24 good sized mince pies and they taste better than the shop, but I didn't think it was worth the hassle with everything else to be cooked this year. Also I've made them twice so far, making double so there was some to freeze and they;ve all been eaten with 3 days. Forgot to say I think Greggs mice pies taste the best seconded by Aldi, but Greggs don;t state ingredients and I think they still use hydrogenates.

I bought waitroses "all butter" ones the other week nad they wre fantastic. I cant make pastry for toffee ( although Im getting a kenwood chef from santa ) so next year Im hoping i can make some lovely HM ones

Really? I didn't know that. It's a shame as they are surprisingly good - I was very impressed (until you told me about the hydrogenates, anyway). We've eaten quite a few in the office this year as Greggs is the nearest place we can go when one of us has a sudden mince pie craving.

I didn't make any, as I thought I'd only want a few...but now I'm on my third box Tesco Finest for me. I have sworn by M&S in the past, but they were closed, so I got Tesco Finest, and they've been great. I only eat them warmed, and the pastry is delicious, and crisp on top, buttery taste, and the mincemeat is nice too, and not over-filled, good patry:mince ratio!

I think it depend who do your favourite style of pie. I like the less pastry on top so iced, lattice and Sainsburies do a tart type thing that is also lovely. I think you can't wrong with M&S or Sainsburies but I admit today I am going to make a mince pie slices for the first time. I've not made mince pies since helping my mum as a child!

co-op mini mince pies are AMAZING, I got them as I'm not keen on mince pies so these bite sized ones seemed like a good idea. But then I went and ate the whole box

The Tesco ones in the red box are good, I tried one and din't know what it was, it was nice pastry and filling. Two boxes of 6 for ?1.50.

I agree, lovely crumbly buttery pastry and a great amount of mincemeat, lovely warmed in the oven, mmmm