Every year, like clockwork, it happens. The leaves barely start turning amber and — BAM — there they are. Nestled between the digestive biscuits and the custard creams, a glorious tower of mince pie boxes has appeared on the supermarket shelf. And every year, someone on social media loses their mind about it.
“It’s only October!” they cry. “It’s not even Halloween yet!”
To which we at Mince Pie Club say: calm down, and have a mince pie.
The Case for Early Mince Pie Season
Let’s be honest — mince pies aren’t just a Christmas food anymore. They’re a season. And that season, glorious as it is, deserves to be savoured slowly, not crammed into the final two weeks of December in a panicked festive frenzy.
Think about it. If you wait until December 24th to start eating mince pies, you’ve got roughly 48 hours before the season is officially over and the Hot Cross Buns move in. That’s not enough time to properly evaluate the pastry-to-filling ratio on twelve different supermarket varieties. (And yes, you absolutely should be doing that.)
The early birds among us know the truth: October mince pies are a gift. The shelves are fresh, the stock is new, and you’ve got the whole glorious run-up to Christmas to conduct your research properly.
What the Supermarkets Are Doing Right
Credit where it’s due — the major supermarkets have been upping their mince pie game considerably in recent years. M&S, Waitrose, and Tesco Finest continue to set the bar high with all-butter pastry and generously spiced fillings. Even budget options from Aldi and Iceland have quietly become genuinely impressive, proving that you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy a proper mince pie.
This year, keep an eye out for some interesting twists — frangipane-topped varieties have been rising in popularity, and vegan options have gone from an afterthought to genuinely delicious alternatives. The mince pie world is, dare we say it, thriving.
Our Verdict
Mince pies are one of Britain’s greatest culinary traditions. They deserve more than a begrudging four-week window squeezed between Black Friday deals and Christmas dinner prep. So next time someone raises an eyebrow at your October mince pie habit, simply offer them one.
They’ll come around. They always do.