Marks and Spencer All Butter Classic and Luxury Mince Pie Reviews

Marks and Spencer All Butter Luxury Mince Pies

It seems every supermarket likes getting into the festive pie spirit and Marks and Spencer are no exception. With a fantastic range of mince pies in store, it was hard to decide which pies to pick up, particularly as a lot of the boxes of pies looked very similar to one another. We’d already had our gluten free Pierateer ALE rate the gluten free Marks and Spencer mince pies, so – finding the descriptions on the box of the Marks and Spencer Classic and Luxury mince pies almost identical – Pierateer RAS decided to try and work out what the difference was between the two in a pie-off.

So what were the Marks and Spencer Mince Pies like? And what was the difference? Well, the most noticeable difference was the price. The classic pies cost £1.80 for a box of 6 mince pies or 30ppp, compared to £2.50 for a box of 6 luxury mince pies at 41.6ppp, which makes them some of the more expensive boxes of supermarket mince pies this Christmas time. However at Pierate HQ it’s not all about the price – it’s about whether the pie is worth the price!

Marks and Spencer All Butter Classic Mince Pies

The pies came in good condition, though the classic pie had a rather plain lid compared to the more elaborate design of the luxury pies, which incorporated a snowflake. However the lid of the luxury pies were quite inconsistent, with some lids slightly uneven and sticking to the foil casing, thus breaking the lid off the pie when trying to eat them.

The colour was quite good for mince pies – though there was a significant contrast from the darker, crisper edge pastry that created a reasonable overhang to the lighter, central pastry. The pastry was nice and crisp without being dry, crumbling easily in the mouth.

Marks and Spencer All Butter Luxury Mince Pies

Inside both pies there was a reasonably strong capacity of mincemeat, with clear fruity pieces and a nice moist filling. The content wasn’t too chewy, which was good, and was consistently well filled throughout the pie. The filling tasted very similar between the two – very fruity sultanas, currants and raisins.

All in all, both were nice Christmas mince pies which I’d certainly want to eat again, even if they were a little more expensive per pie than most other supermarket pies. With a full 11.6p per pie difference between the two, I’d say there isn’t a noticeable enough difference to warrant paying the extra for the luxury pies, even if they do look a bit nicer. But two more Pierate Recommended mince pies none the less!

Marks and Spencer All Butter Mince Pies – Classic Recipe
Score: 5.56/7
[Colour 5.5, Capacity 6.25, Consistency 5.75, Condition 5.8, Chewiness 5.6, Cheapness 4, Content 6, Total: 5.56/7]

Marks and Spencer All Butter Mince Pies – Luxury Recipe
Score: 5.23/7
[Colour 5.5, Capacity 6.25, Consistency 5.75, Condition 4.5, Chewiness 5.6, Cheapness 3, Content 6, Total: 5.23/7]

RAS

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Marks and Spencer - Gluten Free Mince Pie Review

Whilst out the other day a family member presented me with a lovely looking box of four gluten free mince pies from Marks and Spencer. At first one wouldn't think that this was a Gluten Free product as it wasn't packaged in the normal 'Free From' style that most supermarkets use. This was quite nice in a way although I suppose there is the danger that fellow coeliacs might miss them!

Upon opening the box, there were quite a few rather large crumbs which had been dislodged, however, I think this just reflects the transportation after leaving the supermarket. To confirm this I felt it was my duty to eat more than one box and the other box (transported by bicycle) was fine. Although one could argue it may not be a pie as it is not completely enclosed in pastry, I do rather like the pretty star on top instead of a complete lid. But the real question is how would it taste? Would it beat the Pierate Recommended Gluten Free mince pies from Foodamentalists and We Love Cake? See below for scores!



Condition – 5.75 out of 7 – This reflects the fact that the pasty is a little bit crumbly, but this is expected with Gluten Free pastry. its definitely not a pie that you think to yourself "I must not eat this in public to avoid a crumbly mess"!!

Colour – 6.25 out of 7 – Pretty much the optimum colour I would expect for a mince pie.

Cheapness – 5.0 out of 7 – At a bit over £3 this is pretty expensive even for GF products, but i must say it was worth it, especially the first box which was free to me!!

Capacity – 6.0 out of 7 – Couldn't be much better, but it would be quite hard to hide it in this instance because you can see the filling.

Chewiness – 6.5 out of 7 – Normally the mincemeat in mince pies is rather chewy. However, in these it is almost soft. It hasn't got full marks because there is some residual chewiness. The pastry was divine and melt in the mouth!

Content – 6.25 out of 7 – I really liked the taste of the mincemeat which was the perfect sweetness and complimented the pastry very nicely.

Consistency – 6.25 out of 7 – This worked well as a package, really great pie!



To summarise, this is a fantastic pie! It doesn't just beat the other mince pies I have scored, it is infact the best shop brought mince pie i have ever tasted, including gluten ones (before i was diagnosed as a coeliac)!! So if you're Gluten Free, or you know someone who is, don't hesitate to go out to M&S and buy a box of these shining stars!

Gluten Free Mince Pie (Marks and Spencer)
6.00/7

ALE

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Marks and Spencer Ultimate All Butter Mince Pies Review

It doesn't take much to attract my attention to a box of pies - after all, we do very much keep our eyes on the pies at Pierate HQ! However when a box of pies is described as "Ultimate" in their title, these have got to be VERY good pies if they are to live up to their billing! So when I came across the Marks and Spencer Ultimate All Butter Mince Pies during a trip to London's Oxford Street recently, I certainly had to give them a pie rating! After all, these aren't just mince pies... these are M&S Ultimate All Butter Mince Pies...



Hand crafted Mince Pies from M&S

However the first impression I got when opening up the box of pies was that M&S seemed to be trying a bit too hard to make out these are hand crafted pies. For not only was this mentioned on the label in shiny, golden lettering, but every single pie out of the 8 I bought had the lid on wonkily. Now, I'm not going to argue that someone making pies by hand might put a lid or two on wonkily - just due to human nature and trying to get all these pies made before Christmas - but I find it hard to believe that the staff at M&S are so bad at making pies that they couldn't even get 1 of the 8 pies to have a lid that actually attached correctly! It's as if... dare I say it... the lids of these pies were intentionally put on wonkily to highlight the fact they are "hand crafted" rather than put on immaculately by a machine! Hmmm... I guess we will never know!


The Ultimate Mince Pie?!

The content gave a top, fruity flavouring, probably the best tasting mince pie filling I'd had. The full filling was mincemeat "packed with vine fruits, kirch soaked glace cherries, roasted almonds and armagnac." It was so moist and flavoursome and provided a striking, yet complimentary, contrast to the crisp pastry. You could really taste that you were getting one of your five a day here, rather than just some mincey, fruit goo leftovers. The capacity however was a bit disappointing, with several air gaps in the pie.


So ultimately, are these the best mince pies I've ever rated? I'm afraid not. In summary, I'd happily eat again, but would think twice about forking out £1 a pie for these, when there are other nice mince pies for a fraction of the price.

Marks and Spencer Ultimate All Butter Mince Pies
Score: 5.36/7
[Colour 5.5, Capacity 5.5, Consistency 6.5, Condition 5.5, Chewiness 5.5, Cheapness 3, Content 6, Total: 5.36/7]
RAS

Additional note: It must also be noted that unfortunately these pies are ridiculously hard to get hold of. Considering they are supposed to be the "Ultimate" mince pies that Marks and Spencer sell, I was thoroughly disappointed that not only was I unable to get hold of any in the huge Birmingham High Street city centre store but also that they had no idea if they would be getting a new delivery in before Christmas. In the end I had to travel down from Birmingham to London to obtain a second box of these pies for my '12 Pies of Christmas' video, which I think is pretty unacceptable but I hope at least highlights the lengths the Pierateers are willing to go to provide the pie fans with the pie reviews they crave. Here's hoping that in the future Marks and Spencer do a better job of getting their pies to the people!

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Marks and Spencer Handcrafted in Yorkshire All Butter Pastry Chicken and Leek Pie and Slow Roasted Ham, Onion and Mature Cheddar Pie Reviews

The Pierateers arrrrgh always searching from the crow’s nest for a pie bargain to be had, so when I was informed of a 3 for 2 pie offer in Marks and Spencer the Pierate Ship plotted a course down to our local store. While the 3 for 2 offer extended further than just pies, we have our eyes firmly on the pies at Pierate HQ!

So with episode one and episode two of ‘Pie Factor’ completed, the final auditions took place on Tuesday 12th November 2013. ‘Why are you telling me the exact date?’ I hear you ask! Well, that only happens to be International Pierate Day, a celebration of eating and rating pie, which coincides with our pie blog’s birthday! It also formed part of my 5-a-day pie quota for International Pierate Day, which demonstrated Piethagoras theorem (see our Pierate Dictionary for a full definition).

Anyhow, I digress! Back to the Pie Factor and we had already had 3 contestants, with two more in the firing range... I mean, on stage for a constructive review on the third instalment of ‘Pie Factor’ (which by sheer coincidence happens to tie in with the final of another, less interesting Factor experience!)

Let's welcome down Pie Factor contestant number 4...

What's your name and where are you from?
I'm the Chicken and Leek Pie from Marks and Spencer.

And what do you do?
I’m one of the 3 for 2 individual sized Yorkshire Pies that you can buy, handmade in Yorkshire and ready for you to enjoy as part of your main meal of the day.

Brilliant! And what talents have you got at your disposal?
Well we didn’t want anyone to accuse us of being “chicken” and all when it came to being on the big stage, so we’ve gone all out to pack our filling with big chunks of chicken!

You’re not wrong there! Some of the pieces of chicken were almost as big as some eggs I’ve eaten!
Well we wouldn’t want to chicken out when it came to content and capacity! They compliment the leek, I hope, but the leek doesn’t overpower the flavour.



Chicken and Leek Pie

That’s a pretty spot on assessment. A much better mix than your steak and ale friend who performed previously.
Thanks. We are friends, but there can only be one winner of the Pie Factor... and we want that to be us!

Well with the nice crisp pastry lid and the well held pastry sides and base, complimenting the chicken and leek on offer, it sure is in with a good shout!
Aww, thanks so much! We do pie our best!

Alright, alright! Leave the pie puns and jokes to us please!
Sorry!

So there we have it – a very good performance even if it is again a little small for an individual dinner portion. I’d rate you as slightly better than the steak and ale option due to having a better mix of content and no “padding out” this time!



Marks and Spencer Ham, Onion & Cheddar (l) and Chicken & Leek (r)

And finally, let's welcome down Pie Factor contestant number 5...

What's your name and where are you from?
I'm the Slow Roasted Ham, Onion and Mature Cheddar Pie from Marks and Spencer.

And let’s just cut to the chase... why do you think you should win the Pie Factor?!
Well I’m one of the 3 for 2 individual sized Yorkshire Pies that you can buy, handmade in Yorkshire and ready for you to enjoy as part of your main meal of the day. Containing big chunks of ham and a nice cheesy sauce, I’m quite unique as there aren’t lots of ham and cheese pies out there! On top of that, I’m full of filling and have a nice, fully encased pastry shell. Vote Team Ham and Cheese!!!

Alright, less of the promotion please – I’ll be the judge of you!
Sorry, just got a little carried away. ***Motions for people to ring in and vote for Ham and Cheese***


Slow Roasted Ham, Onion and Mature Cheddar Pie

 
Right...So let’s not pad this out too much longer. The pastry was again very good. The ham – nice big chunks of it – was very nice if a little chewy in places, perhaps due to being too many large pieces of meat rather than a more ideal smaller, consistent approach. I’ll give you credit for being more original in your flavouring, especially as it is often just steak and cheese or cheese and onion pies you get, so thank you for bringing something new to the table (quite literally!)
Ah, nice one! I see what you did there!

As for the capacity, once again it was strong and it wasn’t compromised by other ingredients. The pie was quite cheesy as the sauce really did come into its own. Could have got a bit much if the pie had been a lot bigger, but all things considered, a good effort! The pie rating for you is 5.43/7.


Marks and Spencer Handcrafted in Yorkshire All Butter Pastry Chicken and Leek Pie
Score: 5.79/7
[Colour 6/7; Consistency 6/7; Cheapness 4/7; Chewiness 6.25/7; Condition 6/7; Content 6.25/7; Capacity 6/7; Total: 5.79/7]

Marks and Spencer Slow Roasted Ham, Onion and Mature Cheddar Pie
Score: 5.43/7
[Colour 6/7; Consistency 5.5/7; Cheapness 4/7; Chewiness 5/7; Condition 6/7; Content 5.5/7; Capacity 6/7; Total: 5.43/7]

So there we have it!

Five pie contestants, but only one of them can go away with the title of “Pie Factor” winner for Marks and Spencer. I hope you’ve enjoyed finding out more about our five contestants but before we go, here’s our round up of the pies in question:

Rank	Pie Producer	Pie Flavour	Score	By
1	Marks and Spencer	Handcrafted in Yorkshire All Butter Pastry Chicken and Leek	5.79	RAS
2	Marks and Spencer	Handcrafted in Yorkshire All Butter Pastry Steak and Old Peculier Ale Pie	5.50	RAS
3	Marks and Spencer	Handcrafted in Yorkshire All Butter Pastry Slow Roasted Ham, Onion and Mature Cheddar	5.43	RAS
4	Marks and Spencer	Gastro Pub Beef And Ale	5.40	RAS
DNQ	Marks and Spencer	Gastro Pub Aberdeen Angus Steak Yorkshire Pudding	DNQ	RAS

RAS

See where this pie ended up in the Pierate Pie Rankings or find other pies of a similar flavour. Make sure you Follow @pierateers and let us know your thoughts!

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Marks and Spencer Handcrafted in Yorkshire All Butter Pastry Steak and Old Peculier Ale Pie Review

The Pierateers arrrrgh always searching from the crow’s nest for a pie bargain to be had, so when I was informed of a 3 for 2 pie offer in Marks and Spencer the Pierate Ship plotted a course down to our local store. While the 3 for 2 offer extended further than just pies, we have our eyes firmly on the pies at Pierate HQ!

Of course you will all recall that the first of these pies formed the first ever episode of ‘Pie Factor’ a few weeks ago. Through to the next round with a very reasonable 5.4/7 was the Gastro Pub Beef And Ale Pie. However the Gastro Pub Aberdeen Angus Steak Yorkshire Pudding Pie sadly was not actually a pie – and was rather embarrassingly escorted from the studio by security.

Well the steaks have been raised for episode two – quite literally. But don’t worry – the only thing peculier about this pie is its content. For this pie contains Old Peculier Ale as its compliment for the pieces of steak in nice, rich ale gravy. Or at least that’s what you’d think from the box...

Let's welcome down Pie Factor contestant number 3...

What's your name and where are you from?
I'm the Steak and Old Peculier Ale Pie from Marks and Spencer.

 


Steak and Old Peculier Ale Pie

And what do you do?
I’m one of the 3 for 2 individual sized Yorkshire Pies that you can buy, handcrafted in Yorkshire and ready for you to enjoy for your tea.

You mean dinner?
No, definitely for your tea. I’m from Yorkshire, you see. So we call tea... well... tea.

But what if you want a cup of tea? Do you not get confused?
You mean a cup of cha?

No, I don’t want you to cha cha cha! This isn’t Strictly you know! It’s the Pie Factor. Right, anyway, what will you be filling your performance with tonight?
Well the steaks are high this week, or perhaps I should say big. Big, meaty pies of steak to be precise. However before you can get to these big steaky chunks you’ve got to get through the onion layer.



Steak and Old Peculier Ale Pie - You can only really see onion

The onion layer? Oh...
That's right... we’ve packed quite a lot into this little fully encased in pastry pie – including plenty of onion!

Right... okay. Well I’m glad to hear you’re fully encased in pastry, but...well... I have to say I’m a bit disappointed by the onion layer. I mean, as soon as I started to dissect your performance it was just oozing with onion. Had to wait to get to the steak. If you’re going to give me lots of onion, I want it in moderation. Steak first, onion if necessary.
Point taken. There was rather a lot of onion to be fair. Not sure why.

It was a shame really. I’d expect it from one of the – how do I put this – less affluent contenders. But Marks and Spencer... you don’t normally associate them with “padding out the pies”!
I know, I know. But the steak – that was good right? And the pastry?

The steak was very good and tender – I can’t deny that! And the Old Peculier Ale can’t be ignored. It certainly tasted different to other steak and ale pies I’ve had before, which was nice to see. I’d say the flavour of the gravy was good, though a little too peppery in flavour for my taste buds. The pastry though was very nice – particularly the pastry lid. Not too thick and held together well.
It’s fortunate we fully encased the performance in pastry then this time!

It sure is! While the excess onion was a downer and the pie was a little small for an individual dinner (or tea) portion, I would say it was the best Marks and Spencer’s Pie of the ‘Pie Factor’ so well done!


In summary then, three of the contestants have performed and we have two more to come before we can crown our Marks and Spencer ‘Pie Factor’ winner! Tune in next time for our final instalment of the “Pie Factor!”

Marks and Spencer Handcrafted in Yorkshire All Butter Pastry Steak and Old Peculier Ale Pie
Score: 5.5/7
[Colour 6/7; Consistency 5.5/7; Cheapness 4/7; Chewiness 6/7; Condition 6/7; Content 5/7; Capacity 6/7; Total: 5.5/7]
RAS

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Marks and Spencer Gastro Pub Pie Range Review

The Pierateers arrrrgh always searching from the crow’s nest for a pie bargain to be had, so when I was informed of a 3 for 2 pie offer in Marks and Spencer the Pierate Ship plotted a course down to our local store. While the 3 for 2 offer extended further than just pies, we have our eyes firmly on the pies at Pierate HQ!



Marks and Spencer 3 for 2 pies

Now before you say anything about the picture, I'm sure you've spotted the anomaly in the photo. Sure, all the food items called themselves pies on the boxes... but really, are they really all pies? We'll get to that later!

So are you sitting comfortably and ready for the first ever Pie Factor?!


Let's welcome down Pie Factor contestant number 1...



Marks and Spencer Gastro Pub Beef and Ale Pie

What's your name and where are you from? I'm the Gastro Pub Beef And Ale Pie from Marks and Spencer.

And what do you do? I sit in the Gastro Pub chilled cabinet, hoping people want a pub-like meal without heading to the pub.

And what do you think you can offer us tonight? Well, I'm a top crust pastry pie, covering tender chunks of beef alongside rich ale gravy, roasted mushrooms and smoked bacon.

Oh... well don’t get me wrong... I mean the buttery puff pastry was delicious but... just a top crust? That's right... no side and base pastry with me. But the colour of my pastry is very golden - more golden than you find on the box!

That's very true! The filling is very good to be fair to you - though with no sides and base I can't really comment on your capacity!
Point taken. But the content that is there is good, right?

It is. The beef is very tender - I've got to give you that - and you did have a nice ale flavour through the gravy. However there were very negligible pieces of bacon in your act, which is disappointing when you name them on the front of the box as a main ingredient. I've got to dock you marks for being a top crust, I'm sorry to say, and at £6.99 as a meal for two you don’t score that well for cheapness. But the good news is – with a score of 5.4/7 - you're through to the next round! Congratulations!


And for Pie Factor contestant number 2...



Marks and Spencer Gastro Pub Aberdeen Angus Steak Yorkshire Pudding Pie

What's your name and where are you from? I'm the Gastro Pub Aberdeen Angus Steak Yorkshire Pudding Pie from Marks and Spencer.

And what do you think you can offer us tonight? Well I'm a Yorkshire pudding filled with nice tasty steak and topped with a shallow layer of sliced roast potatoes.

Ok, and what part does pastry play in your act? Pastry? Oh no, I don't have any pastry...

Sorry?! I thought you said you were a pie?! Er... yeah... the box says pie on it...

***Into walkie-talkie: Security, contacting security. We have an imposter in the Pie Factor...***

(On a serious note though, the Gastro Pub Aberdeen Angus Steak Yorkshire Pudding Pie from Marks and Spencer was a tasty food item, with delicious, tender steak and crisp Yorkshire Pudding. However the potato was slightly lacking, the meal was a bit small for one person and it most certainly was NOT a pie! Unfortunately yet another food item trying to jump onto the “let’s call it a pie” bandwagon!)


In summary then, with two contestants out of five eaten and rated so far, there is a clear nul points to the Gastro Pub Aberdeen Angus Steak Yorkshire Pudding Pie – which with no pastry we simply couldn’t rate – and a solid 5.4/7 for the Gastro Pub Beef And Ale Pie. However I have high hopes for the fully encased beauties I still have left to eat! Tune in next time for our next instalment of the “Pie Factor!”

Marks and Spencer Gastro Pub Beef And Ale Pie
Score: 5.4/7
RAS

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