Aside from tinsel, trees, twinkling lights and Santa…mince pies are a staple part of Christmas, without which the holiday season would just be sad, empty and falling apart (rather like our attempt at homemade mince pies come to think of it…) Therefore, knowing where to find the best mince pies in London is an absolute necessity. A fundamental must. Sooooo, as an early Christmas present to you, we’ve compiled a list of the bestest, tastiest, and quite frankly yummiest ones in London Town:
1. Brompton Food Market
Brompton Food Market is a food shop in the heart of South Kensington, and harks back to a bygone age when customers had time to browse, to handle the produce and interact with the shopkeeper. Owned and run by David Turcan and Luke Mackay with over 120 suppliers – from tiny cottage industries making gourmet marshmallows to Edinburgh’s finest haggis maker – it’s unsurprising that the mince pies on sale at this beautiful shop are some of the best in the city!
Giant, with huge pieces of spiced fruit, perfect, thick, buttery pastry (with a thin lid), and a heavy dusting of icing sugar. And boozey. Oh so boozey (thanks to the plentiful addition of brandy and amaretto).
You’ll find Brompton Food Market at 33 Thurloe Place, SW7 2HQ. Nearest station is South Kensington.
2. Konditor
Putting even our own grannys’ pies to shame, Konditor undoubtedly have some of the best mince pies to have ever graced the surface of the culinary world. With locations across London, there is no excuse (and no reason) not to experience the perfect pastry made with organic free-range eggs and natural butter, (‘Konditor’ means pastry chef in German, you know…) balanced with a mouth-watering filling that would knock the socks off Santa Claus himself if he got even a whiff.
You’ll find Konditor at three different locations in London. You can find out more here.
3. The Dusty Knuckle Bakery
Next up on this roundup of the best mince pies in London is The Dusty Knuckle Bakery – a chic spot in Dalston and Harringay which sells delicious loaves of bread, delicious sandwiches and a pretty mean mince pie too when it comes to Christmastime.
Filled to the brim with dark, delicious and sticky mincemeat, it’s a delectable treat with flaky pastry and sprinkled with lashings of icing sugar.
You’ll find The Dusty Knuckle Bakery at Abbot Street Car Park, E8 3DP and at 429 Green Lanes, N4 1AH. Nearest stations are Dalston Kingsland and Harringay Green Lanes.
4. Bread Ahead Bakery
When it comes to delicious baking, the only proper direction you need to head is really Bread Ahead. As well as some pretty incredible donuts, they also have a smattering of lovely mince pies come the Winter season.
On top of all of this, there are decadent doughnuts with flavours like jam, classic vanilla and caramel, sea salt and honeycomb – to name but a few.
You’ll find Bread Ahead Bakery at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
5. Department of Coffee and Social Affairs
Another contender for having some of the best mince pieces in London here, Interesting…verrrry interesting. Well, lucky for you, these are some of the tastiest pies we’ve tried, proving that sometimes less can in fact be more. And don’t worry, they don’t need a hat to keep warm.
The citrusy, yummy and rummy fruit is wrapped up and warm, jacketed in a layer of delicious short-crust pastry. Let’s see if you can manage just the one…
You’ll find the Department of Coffee and Social Affairs at 3 Lowndes Court, Carnaby, London, W1F 7HD. Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
6. PAUL
If you’re a Pastel de Nata fan, then you’re in luck as there’s two new additions this Christmas – mince pie which offers aa touch of warming spice – and redcurrant – perfect to enjoy on the go to add a little festive spirit to your day. Don’t worry, they’ve also got their traditional creamy Pastel de Nata still available too!
You’ll find PAUL at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
7. Melrose and Morgan
A grocer-come-kitchen with two shops in the leafy neighbourhoods of Primrose Hill and Hampstead, Melrose and Morgan sells a whole range of lush goodies – from cherry madeira and lemon drizzle cake to fresh salads, artisan breads and charcuterie boards too. They also rustle up some bloody delicious gourmet mince pies during the Christmas period, and you can expect to indulge in them all over the Christmas and New Year period.
You’ll find Melrose and Morgan at 42 Gloucester Avenue, London, NW1 8JD and Oriel Place, London, NW3 1QN. Nearest stations are Chalk Farm and Hampstead.
8. Violet Cakes
This humble Hackney shop has been serving cupcakes, scones, and other delights to hungry customers since 2010 – they also happened to be the official wedding cake caterers to Harry and Megan’s wedding back in 2018.
Creations from Violet Cakes are made with organic ingredients where possible, and this extends to their range of savoury and brunch options. Added to this, they also bake some of London’s best mince pies – they’re made with English apples, brandy-soaked sultanas, currants and raisins, with candied citrus peel and a sprinkling of winter spices too.
You’ll find Violet Cakes at 47 Wilton Way, Hackney, E8 3ED. Nearest stations are Hackney Downs and Hackney Central.
9. Gail’s
With a seasonally-changing menu consisting of goodies including chocolate and hazelnut buns, mozzarella, tomato and pesto focaccia and sticky date and coconut babka buns, Gail’s really is one of the best bakeries in the whole of London Town.
Fancy loaves of crusty bread – much of it gluten-free – maple bacon brioche and afternoon tea treats are all name of the game here, and come the Christmas season, there are some absolutely delicious mince pies with flaky pastry and gooey fillings.
You’ll find Gail’s at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
10. Paul Rhodes Bakery
This artisan, Greenwich-based bakery is definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area, as they sell a vast variety of breads, cakes, tarts, traybakes and more.
When it comes to mince pies over the Christmas period, they offer a real classic variety with mincemeat mix made of currants, sultanas and mixed peel, an extra helping of mixed spice and lemon juice on top, and demerara sugar to finish it off. Sounds pretty darn good to us…
You’ll find the Paul Rhodes Bakery at Lassell Street, London, SE10 9PJ and 37 King William Walk, London, SE10 9HU. Nearest stations are Maze Hill and Cutty Sark.
11. Popham’s Bakery
Our final addition to this roundup of the best mince pies in London is a real winner. If you amble past Popham’s Bakery, then chances are you’ll smell the lovely aroma of freshly-baked bread and flaky pastries here too. Decked out in a Scandi-style decor, this sleek and stylish spot is very popular during the weekends – and it’s easy to see why.
It’s dog-friendly, serves some pretty bloody great coffee from Ozone, and has some pretty incredible mince pies come the Winter period too.
You’ll find Popham’s Bakery at three different locations in London. You can find out more here.
So there you have it, a roundup of some of the best mince pies in London. So seeing as Christmas is nearly upon us, you’d better loosen up that waistband!