The first-ever ‘magical mince pie window’ has popped up in London today (December 2), where you can get your hands on a free mince pie and spiced tea. The window pop-up comes as Sainsbury’s kicks off its mince pie December donation to Comic Relief, where every penny from each pack of by Sainsbury’s and Free from classic mince pies, sold from now until the new year, will go towards helping families experiencing food poverty.
The ‘magical mince pie windows’ from Sainsbury’s are located in four major cities in the UK (London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle) and have been inspired by the ancient wine windows of Florence, in both design and with generosity at their heart. Simply ring the bell at the window to pick up a free mince pie and brew, and visitors can donate to Comic Relief to further help Sainsbury’s on its mission to feed over five million families experiencing food poverty this winter.
Sainsbury’s even managed to snag some support from Strictly icon Shirley Ballas, who was on hand to surprise and delight locals at the London launch.
With thousands of mince pies being handed out, Sainsbury’s polled the nation to reveal some stark differences in the ways Brits like to consume these treats. Four in 10 (40%) prefer to nibble their way through, while half (51%) will eat theirs naked (with no topping) and over a third (38%) eat theirs with an accompaniment – with cream (61%), ice cream (32%) and brandy butter (27%) coming out top.
Meanwhile, one in 10 (11%) enjoy eating them in one bite, while one in 20 (5%) will dissect the pie, eating the filling first and pastry second (one in 10 (9%) opting for the other way round). On average, Brits will eat five mince pies between November and January, with a staggering seven in 10 (70%) preferring to buy ready-made, and less than one in five (17%) opting to make their own.
How to claim a free mince pie from London mince pie window
The windows will be open for two days (December 2 and 3), handing out an estimated 12,000 mince pies and warm spiced tea for free, with visitors able to make a suggested donation of £1. The magical mince pie window in London can be found at Butlers Wharf West, 42 Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD. The mince pie window is open from 9.30am to 7pm on December 2 and from 8am to 7pm on December 3.
Other ways to donate
In addition to this, until December 31st, 10 pence from every festive sandwich sold will be donated to Comic Relief. Customers can also make a difference by donating what they can to Comic Relief at tills, online, or donating their Nectar points via the app. Sainsbury’s will also contribute an extra £200,000 from the profits of its Nourish the Nation Christmas gifts and decorations supporting Comic Relief.
Customer donations will be directed to food redistribution charity FareShare, as well as other food donation partners including The Felix Project, The Trussell Trust, City Harvest, Community Shop C.I.C and HIS Church. These organisations offer vital support to those experiencing food poverty, while also helping to tackle food waste across the UK. Customers can also directly support their local community groups by giving grocery items at the donation points at the front of Sainsbury’s stores.
You can find out more about donations here.