Christmas is a time for indulging in the foods you love to help get into the spirit of the season, and few do it better than the beloved mince pie. That’s why Morrisons is proudly declaring a new festive tradition with the launch of National Mince Pie Day on Saturday 22 November and is inviting customers in store to celebrate.
50,000 of Morrisons Rich & Fruity mince pies will be given away for free across selected stores this Saturday to mark the moment and delight shoppers (gluten free options also available), with customers simply needing to collect their baked treat from their local Morrisons store.
The Morrisons team of expert bakers around the country freshly bake over 20,000,000 each year at their bakery counters to meet demand and ensure no one goes without, with almost half of those bought in December alone – equating to over 12,000 pies an hour!
The national moment launches as new research revealed almost half of Brits (44 per cent) consider the humble mince pie the official taste of Christmas, ranking it the number two only behind roast turkey (47 per cent).
On average Brits scoff six mince pies throughout December, with around one in seven (16 per cent) eating 11 or more during December, which is about one every other day!
The research also shows that Manchester residents will eat more mince pies this Christmas than anyone else in the country (7.4). Those in London will munch 7, making them the second biggest mince pie enthusiasts, followed by Newcastle (6.3) and Birmingham (6.2).
Mince pies have been a festive favourite in Britain since the Middle Ages, however, pies looked and tasted very different back then. Historically, pies were enormous and a recipe from the Victorian period contained 640 pounds of currants and raisins, 200 pounds of sugar, 2 pounds of ginger, 350 pounds of suet and 72 bottles of brandy.
They were also eaten all-year round but reserved for celebration days given the expensive ingredients. Oliver Cromwell actually banned mince pies because he thought they were too lavish and that people were being far too indulgent at Christmas time, but luckily that has not stuck around and customers can enjoy as many treats as they feel is right this Christmas.
Neil Buttery, British Food Historian, added: “The humble mince pie has been part of Britain’s Christmas foodie festivities since medieval times, so Christmas without them is simply unimaginable. As a food historian and chef who has baked many different types of mince pies from across the centuries, and loved them all, I’m so pleased that Morrisons is finally giving the festive treats the recognition they deserve with their own day.”
Mark Richmond, head chef at Morrisons, added: “We wanted to give the nation a reason to smile and celebrate one of our most-loved festive bakes and we’ve done just that by launching National Mince Pie Day and giving away 50,000 pies. Having hundreds of expert bakers working hard all-year round to prepare millions of pies across the UK and a variety available for all tastebuds, makes us best placed to celebrate the mince pie! National Mince Pie Day will help spread a little early Christmas cheer and make sure everyone can enjoy a taste of the season, on us!”
Morrisons has 10 different varieties of mince pies available this year to ensure there is something to everyone’s taste. Flavours range from the award winning The Best Signature Collection Mince Pies for just £2 to unique pairings like The Best Caramel Apple Crumble Mince Pies and The Best Cherry Bakewell Mince Pies, making Morrisons the perfect place for fans to pick up their favourite treat or try something new.
There are also deals available to sweeten the taste for any customer, including the popular Shortcrust Mince Pies being reduced to £1.50 (was £1.80) in the build-up to Christmas. While More Card customers who shop in store on National Mince Pie Day (Saturday 22nd November), will receive a coupon at the till with 500 More Points when they buy any Mince Pie in store, which they have one week to redeem.
The Morrisons blog has all the information on which stores will be doing sampling so customers can track down a sweet treat. Although, they will need to be quick as once stock is gone, it’s gone!
