Britain's Classic Mince Pies Get Modern Makeover

TaiwanPlus News

Bakeries across London are creating new versions of a British Christmas classic—the mince pie. But some traditional bakers prefer to stick to the old ways.

Transcript

00:00A classic treat with a fresh crunch.

00:08It is the season for mince pies in the UK.

00:11A festive snack with centuries of history.

00:14But all across the wintry streets of London,

00:16bakers are putting their own spin on this Christmas classic.

00:21I would describe this as a fun pastry version of a mince pie.

00:26Usually cooked in a short crust pastry,

00:28this bakery uses croissants to house the traditional spiced fruit filling.

00:33I do think it's key to respect the original product,

00:37which is why I think this one is so popular,

00:40because you still get that classic mince pie element.

00:46And some customers are embracing the change.

00:50A little bit more buttery, less traditional, but it's quite unique.

00:56From Islington to Notting Hill,

00:58bakeries across London are experimenting with ways to modernise the good old mince pie.

01:04But others prefer to keep things traditional.

01:08If you're going to do some English traditional things,

01:10like a hot cross bun or a mince pie,

01:13you should keep it classic and just slightly vary it

01:17to make it how you would like to eat it.

01:19And after over 200 years in the business,

01:22Dunn's Bakery has barely strayed from the original recipe.

01:26I think if your mince pie is good enough,

01:29you don't need to come up with gimmicks to make people want to buy it.

01:33But recipes have evolved over the years.

01:36This is a 17th century mince pie recipe.

01:39The word meat used to mean food in general,

01:42and mince pies used to contain minced veal.

01:45But over time, most recipes dropped the meat in favour of more fruit,

01:50though many modern day recipes do still contain animal fat.

01:54Historians say it's natural for food culture to develop.

01:58The veal in particular, and also the lamb,

02:01are quite shocking to a modern audience.

02:03And I think that perhaps in 400 years,

02:07the salted caramel will be just as shocking to an audience of the future.

02:11I think just food changes over time, right?

02:14And that's one of the things that's great about food culture,

02:16especially in a city like London.

02:20For consumers, both old and new versions remain popular,

02:24with the mince pie still a staple in bakeries and homes

02:27throughout the British Christmas season,

02:29whatever form it takes.

02:31Klein Wong and Rhys Ayres for Taiwan Plus.

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