London's bakers are turning out cracking mince pies this Christmas along with less traditional takes on the festive favourite. Here's where to get your hands on them.
Mince Pies
St John
Clerkenwell, Smithfield, Covent Garden
The St John mince pies are a yearly favourite (and usually sell out fast too). Made with fruit, brandy and nuts, they're encased in buttery pastry which they say is "crumbly yet structured" making it "the platonic ideal of a Mince Pie". (Available from 1 December 2023)
Follow on Instagram: @st.john.restaurant
Spence Bakery
Stoke Newington - 161 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0UH
Stoke Newington's Spence Bakery are very serious about their mince pies, starting the mince meat back in September. This year, they're billed as being made of "shortest of shortcrust pastry, and all the fruits, soaked in aaaaall the booze." And just look at the glaze on that!
Follow on Instagram: @spencebakery
Pophams
Hackney, Islington, Victoria Park
Once again, Pophams are teaming up with The King's Ginger liqueur. Inside their mince pies, you'll find currants, raisins, sultanas, apple and suet mixed with spices, candied peel, and citrus. All that has been steeped in The King's Ginger liqueur before going inside 18 layers of flaky pastry. (Available from 1 December 2023)
Follow on Instagram: @pophamsbakery
Fortitude Bakehouse
Bloomsbury - 35 Colonnade, London WC1N 1JD
Fermentation is a big thing at Dee Rettali's Bloomsbury bakehouse and that continues with their mince pies. The fermented contents include currants, apples and even Guinness, baked into shortcrust pastry.
Follow on Instagram: @fortitudebakehouse
Toklas Bakery
9 Surrey St, Temple, London WC2R 2ND
Just off the Strand, the Toklas Bakery's mince pies feature a flaky shortcrust pastry with a mincemeat made from slow-roasted quince, Bramley and Braeburn apples, brandy, mixed spices and packed with home-candied pomelo peel from the Todolí Citrus Fundacio. (Available from late November)
Follow on Instagram: @toklas_bakery
Paul Rhodes Bakery
Greenwich - 37 King William Walk, London SE10 9HU
Using a sweet buttery tart case, Greenwich baker Paul Rhodes' classic mince pies are filled with a mincemeat mix made of currants, sultanas and mixed peel and an extra dash of mixed spice and citrus on top. Finished off with demerara, they come in mini and standard sizes.
Follow on Instagram: @Paulrhodesbakery
Blondies Kitchen
Covent Garden and Selfridges
Still a personal favourite of ours are the Blondies Kitchen mince pie cookie cups. They put a mince pie filling sealed inside chewy vanilla cookie dough cups, mixing two of our favourite things. It really is a thing of wonder and well worth trying.
Follow on Instagram: @blondieskitchen.
Luminary Bakery
Stoke Newington and Chalk Farm
Social enterprise folk Luminary Bakery have shortcrust pastry mince pies, topped with a Luminary crescent moon and filled with mincemeat and orange marmalade. They're available in boxes of 6 or 12 for taking away or delivery.
Follow on Instagram: @luminarybakery
The Proof
Dalston - Dalston Square, London E8 3BQ
Previously, this Dalston bakery's mince pies topped The Independent's list which said the pies were, "the meeting of minds between two classics." A very buttery pastry case is filled with booze-drenched mincemeat and then heaped with a fragrant orange spiced crumble topping. They're available for both takeaway and delivery nationwide.
Follow on Instagram: @theproof._
Sourdough Sophia
24 Middle Lane, London N8 8PL
This independent bakery in Crouch End prides itself on its use of organic locally grown milled grains and their mince pies are no different. They're made with 100% wholemeal wildfarmed flour and their own mincemeat.
Follow on Instagram: @sourdoughsophia
Violet Cakes
Hackney - 47 Wilton Way, London E8 3ED
Royal wedding cake baker Claire Ptak is selling mince pies from her bakery individually or in boxes of nine. They're made with English apples, brandy-soaked sultanas, currants and raisins, with candied citrus peel and winter spices, all in a buttery sweet pastry.
Follow on Instagram: @violetcakeslondon
Melrose & Morgan
Primrose Hill & Hampstead
North London deli Melrose & Morgan say the secret of their mince pie success is the buttery pastry with a hint of vanilla, filled with their signature homemade mincemeat (with a little bit of brandy in there too).
Follow on Instagram: @melroseandmorgan
Plus more baked goodness
Hot Dinners at Christmas
Subscribe to hear the latest from Hot Dinners
