It is early November as I write this, and mince pies have already been in some shops for months. Although indisputably a Christmas food, their season seems to be expanding. When Sainsbury's put them on the shelves in September, a wave of negative press followed, criticising the fact that their use-by date was well before Christmas.

But mince pies are no strangers to controversy. Originally an oblong dish filled with a mixture of meats and fruit, the shape was meant to resemble the Nativity cradle. Medieval crusaders brought spices to Britain, which were added to these Christmas 'pyes'. They became smaller, circular, and were banned by Cromwell in the 17th century. Mrs Beeton's 19th century recipe used minced beef, while earlier recipes favoured tripe, tongue, veal and lamb. In the 20th century, meat largely disappeared but suet was still used; high street versions now tend to be vegetarian friendly.

As I looked into their past, I heard more than one assertion that a mince pie was 'just a mince pie'. To investigate, a dozen willing(ish) colleagues and I embarked on a pie-tasting extravaganza. Pastry was assessed, filling analysed, alcohol content scrutinised. There were heated debates as to whether they should be served hot or cold, iced or not, with shortcrust or puff pastry. The pies deeply divided the testers, but even before the foil tins were peeled off the half dozen varieties, controversy had arisen. While trying to buy a box of mini pies from Tesco, I was informed at the checkout that the box could not be sold. On further enquiring, the manager told me they were being 'withdrawn due to a legal issue' and would say no more. Hmmm...

After the carnage of crumbled pastry and crushed foil tins and an elaborate calculation of votes cast using the single transferable vote system, the winner was declared. Gregg's took top honours, followed closely by M&S All Butter Mini Pies. Mr Kipling’s, the Co-op’s Luxury, and Asda’s Extra Special All Butter pies were all together in the middle of the pack. The clear loser, though: Tesco’s Deep Filled Mince Pies. Perhaps therein lies the real reason for their mysterious removal from my shopping basket?

Whether you love or hate them, mince pies are synonymous with Christmas. And with enough brandy butter and mulled wine, even the most Scrooge–or Cromwell-like may be converted. (R.Edwards)