Taste test: mince pies

Harrods
£5.95 for six
These pies from Harrods were heavy and filled to the brim, but they didn't look very appetising: "Too pale," was the verdict of one panelist. The pastry "dominates everything", said another, being both "too floury" and "too starchy". Not enough character "and far too chunky," was a common verdict. The filling did manage to save the day, adding a strong "fruity, spicy hit" to an otherwise "average pie".  There was a pleasant hint of whisky, which managed to remain subtle: a useful, background foil for the sweetness of the filling.
Two stars

Fortnum & Mason
£7.95 for six
These pies certainly looked the part. Fortnum & Mason has opted for a homemade look and the result was a "slightly scorched" pastry casing that looks as if it's "just come out of your grandmother's oven." They crumbled pretty authentically too,  "in a natural and wholesome way." There was a slight "medicinal" whiff to the filling, though,which was also dominated by "powerful spices—too powerful." The extra orange-peel hit gave it the flavour of a juicy Christmas pudding. Overall a pretty good effort.
Three stars

Harvey Nichols
£5.95 for 12
A "pretty" box of individual, miniature mince pies: they looked quite appealing. Again, there was a homemade quality to the pastry, which at certain points had burst, exposing some of the filling. Just about small enough to be taken in one bite, there was a good balance between pie and filling, but the pastry itself was "far too savoury", although there was a strong buttery flavour.  It almost doesn't "feel like a dessert", said one panelist. On the plus side, the filling was moreish—full of sticky fruit and delicate spices.
Three stars

Duchy Originals
£3.79 for six
So much of how a mince pie rates depends on the pastry—get that right and you're more than halfway there. This was disappointing though. "It's a bit bready," said one. "It's buttery enough, but the texture is all wrong." The filling received better reviews, but they weren't all glowing. "Nice and subtle", was one; "bland" was another. "The pastry is sticking to the roof of my mouth. I can't swallow this." Next.
Two stars

Konditor & Cook
£0.95 each
Straight out of the box, these pies looked like contenders. They weren't as deep as their rivals, but the pastry was a beautiful shade of golden brown, with an attractive glazing on the top. "This is what we've been waiting for," said one delighted panelist. "Crunchy, buttery pastry. Better than homemade." There was no booze detected, just a perfectly proportioned pie—the best looking, and tasting, of the lot. "Mince pie nirvana".
Five stars

Waitrose
£2.69 for 12
You wait the entire tasting for a unanimous verdict, and then two come along at once. Unfortunately for Waitrose, the verdict was not good at all. On the surface, they looked very much like the Duchy pies—the pastry texture was quite similar—but something badly wrong had happened to the filling. "What is that licorice flavour?" Maybe it was liqueur. "These taste like boozy pear drops." Or cough mixture.
One star