Six Pies Under a Tea Towel: Nottingham’s Nuttiest Mince Pies, Blind-Tasted for 2026
Photo: Ian Russell, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
December is close enough that Nottingham’s bakeries have started stacking mince pies like little pastry sandbags. This year the nutty ones are doing the heavy lifting: almond frangipane lids, hazelnut crumble tops, pecans in the filling and chestnut folded through mincemeat. We gathered six pies from independent bakeries across the city, covered the labels with a tea towel and tasted them blind. No brand loyalty, no Instagram-friendly crumbs, just pastry, filling, nut flavour and value.
How we scored
Each pie was scored out of 10 in four areas, giving a total out of 40. Pastry was judged on shortness, bake and whether the lid held its shape. Filling needed balance: fruit, spice, citrus and enough fat to stop it tasting like jam. Nut flavour had to be present without turning the pie into a health-shop experiment. Value was price against size and general butteriness.
We tasted at room temperature, because that is how most of us eat them at a desk or on a bus. All six were bought on the same cold morning earlier this week in 2026, from bakeries and market stalls in Hockley, Sherwood, West Bridgford, Beeston, Mapperley and the city centre. Prices ranged from £2.80 to £4.00.
The six contenders
Sample A: almond frangipane lid, £3.50, Hockley. A neat, golden pie with a soft almond lid. The frangipane was generous and the pastry had a good snap, but the mincemeat underneath was a bit shy. Pleasant with tea, though it needed more citrus to cut through the almond.
Sample B: hazelnut crumble top, £3.20, Sherwood micro-bakery. Rustic rather than polished, with a crumble that had been properly toasted. The hazelnut came through clearly, the filling had a bright orange-peel edge and the pastry tasted seasoned rather than sweet. It looked like the least fussy pie on the table and tasted like the most considered.
Sample C: pecan-strewn filling, £3.80, West Bridgford deli. Big pecans, big price. The nuts added crunch, but most of them sat on top rather than in the filling. The pastry was slightly thick and the whole thing felt a touch worthy, as if it expected a glass of sherry and a formal invitation.
Sample D: chestnut-spiked mincemeat, £3.40, Beeston. This was the most unusual filling. Chestnut made it denser and slightly savoury, which worked better than expected. The nut flavour was subtle rather than shouty, and the pastry was excellent: thin, crisp and well baked.
Sample E: marzipan star lid, £4.00, Mapperley. The best-looking pie by a country mile. A proper marzipan star, golden and almond-heavy. Unfortunately the marzipan dominated, and the mincemeat got lost underneath. Gorgeous, but the most expensive pie needed more balance.
Sample F: walnut streusel, £2.80, city centre market stall. The bargain of the bunch. The walnut had a pleasant bitter edge and the streusel added texture, though the pastry was a little pale and soft. For the price, it was hard to argue with.
The scores
| Sample | Pastry /10 | Filling /10 | Nut flavour /10 | Value /10 | Total /40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: almond frangipane lid | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 30 |
| B: hazelnut crumble top | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 32 |
| C: pecan-strewn filling | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
| D: chestnut-spiked mincemeat | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 29 |
| E: marzipan star lid | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 28 |
| F: walnut streusel | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 28 |
The winner
The winner was Sample B, the hazelnut crumble pie from the Sherwood micro-bakery, with 32 out of 40. It was not the prettiest and it was not the cheapest, but it was the one we went back to. The crumble had been toasted long enough to taste of hazelnut rather than sugar, the filling had a proper citrus snap and the pastry had enough salt to keep things adult. At £3.20, it also felt fair for the size.
Sample D came second, and it is the one to try if you like your mince pies a little denser and more savoury. The chestnut did not scream from the rooftops, but it gave the filling a lovely weight. Sample A is the safe bet for almond fans, while Sample E is the one to buy if presentation matters most. Sample F wins the budget prize by a clear margin.
What this means for your December bakery run
Nottingham’s nutty mince pie scene is not about novelty for novelty’s sake. The best versions used nuts to add texture and savour, not just a festive badge. If you see a frilly lid, ask whether the frangipane is baked through rather than sitting on top like a sweet duvet. If you see a crumble, check that it has colour. And if you see chestnut in the filling, expect a denser bite and maybe fewer mince pies afterwards.
For UK readers planning their December bakery stops, this is a rough map rather than a gospel. Buy one pie, eat it outside, then decide whether to go back for a box. The Sherwood hazelnut crumble is worth the trip. The Mapperley marzipan star is worth a photo. And the £2.80 walnut streusel is worth remembering when the festive budget starts to creak.
Nutty Nottingham verdict: best overall, Sample B. Best value, Sample F. Best pastry, Sample E. Best filling for grown-ups, Sample D. Now put the kettle on.
