Christmas has come early with a mince pie advent calendar
Sainsbury’s has just given mince pie lovers a very good reason to start counting down to the festive season.
The supermarket is launching what it says is its first-ever mince pie advent calendar, meaning Christmas shoppers can open a festive door every day in December and find a tiny Christmas treat waiting inside.
And, frankly, it may be the most British advent calendar idea yet.
The Taste the Difference Mini Mince Pie Advent Calendar will go on sale from 1 November, priced at £20.
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Behind the 25 doors are mini versions of four different mince pies, giving fans something a little more exciting than the usual square of chocolate to look forward to each morning.
There are four varieties to get through: Viennese Whirl, All Butter, Brandy, and Port & Brown Butter mini mince pies.
So rather than getting 24 or 25 identical pies, there is a bit of variety involved.
You might open a door expecting one sort and find another instead, although, let's be honest, there probably aren't many bad outcomes when the alternative is a mince pie.
The calendar has been launched as part of Sainsbury's huge Christmas 2026 range, which includes more than 330 new festive products, one of which is an apple crumble sandwich.
Yes, you read that right.
When can you buy the mince pie advent calendar?
Christmas might still feel some distance away, but you won't have to wait until December to get your hands on the calendar.
It will arrive in Sainsbury's stores and online from November 1, with a price tag of £20.
That is certainly more than you'd spend on a standard chocolate advent calendar, although this one is effectively a miniature mince-pie tasting box spread across the month.
And considering how quickly some of the more unusual supermarket Christmas products disappear, mince pie enthusiasts may not want to leave it until the last minute.
Shoppers are already excited
The announcement has gone down rather well with some shoppers, who have already been discussing the idea online.
One Facebook user declared it to be a ‘great idea’, while another added: “This is the one I want”.
Another simply called it ‘amazing’, while another declared: “This is the best advent calendar everrr.”
Someone else raved: “OMG I need one of these!”
Advent calendars have become increasingly inventive over the years, moving well beyond the humble chocolate-filled cardboard box.
There are calendars dedicated to cheese, beauty products, alcohol, sweets and even dog treats.
Not everyone is thrilled to see Christmas arriving quite so early, though. The supermarket has previously faced complaints over putting mince pies on sale months before December, with some shoppers branding the timing ‘ridiculous’ and ‘a horror’.
For mince pie obsessives, November can't come quickly enough.
For anyone who thinks Christmas should stay firmly in December, the sight of a 24-day supply of festive pies appearing before Bonfire Night may be enough to make them hide under a blanket.
Of course, there is one tiny problem.
Opening a mince pie calendar from the beginning of December means eating a mince pie every single day.
For some people, that will sound like a wonderful festive tradition, while for others, it may be the quickest route to becoming completely sick of the things before Christmas Day has even arrived.
But mince pie fans know the truth: there is a very narrow window each year when eating them for breakfast, lunch and dinner feels entirely acceptable.
Chocolate advent calendars had a good run.
This year, it might just be the mince pie's turn.
Jen Thomas