I have taken it upon myself (oooer) to carry out extensive quality testing of Gingerbread lattes and Mince Pies from a range of high street establishments, the results are thus; Starbucks Gingerbread latte - 8/10 Mince pie - 8/10 Value for money 6/10 Pret a Minge Gingerbread latte - 6/10 Mince pie - 9/10 Value for money 8/10 Costa Gingerbread latte - 8/10 Mince pie - 6/10 Value for money 7/10 Café Nero Gingerbread latte - 7/10 Mince pie - 6/10 Value for money 6/10 Starbucks Gingerbread latte is nice but their Pumpkin Spice latte is just a shade better imho. Costa and Nero have an open mince pie with the filling a little bit on the pappy side for my liking. Starbucks and Pret have very deep filled pies with big chunks of fruit and nicely spiced. Pret's wins because it is a bit cheaper. No need to thank me and yes, I know this is yet another highly poove-ish thread. Just needed something other than politics and religion as a distraction.
Starbucks - soft and crumbly, not too dissimilar to your average Mr Kipling pastry Pret - similar really, they may be produced by the same catering firm for all I know Costa & Nero - same pastry as in the lemon tarts and Bakewell tarts you get at the rest of the time I do like a puff pastry mince pie. M&S used to do them and they were absolute mint but recipe changed and they sprinkled them with big grain sugar, probably meant to improve the taste and add more luxury but it hurts my teeth. Had a mince pie from a bakery in Street near Glastonbury and instead of the top being the same pastry as the base it had a Viennese whirl on top, taste sensation.
Sainsbury's mince pies in shortcrust pastry, the ones they bake on site, not the packet ones, are boss. But there is a bakery in Muswell Hill, inventively named The Bakery, which does the best mince pies in London. 60p each. or 6 for £3.00. Also shortcrust pastry.
Liver and bacon with mash spuds and onion gravy, how can you not like that? And name a better hangover cure.
I don't pretend to like mince pies but try to stick to Christmas consumption only to avoid going from a B cup to a DD in the bitch tits department. Liver & bacon, fried onions, gravy you can stand your fork in - utter heaven. Probably the best value at a greasy spoon café as hardly anyone eats it, you usually get a dirty great plate full. Not for everyone, some folks say it tastes offal.
