EXCLUSIVE Aldi asks shopper for ID to buy range of mince pies with 4.5% brandy inside – but how does that compare to rival stores’ boozy Christmas treats?
A shopper has branded Aldi ‘ludicrous’ after he was asked for ID when buying a range of mince pies.
Aldi’s Specially Selected All Butter Almond Mince Tarts contain 4.5 per cent brandy and one customer was left shocked when he was told he needed to provide proof of age as a result.
The pies, which are sold in packs of six for £2.49, have a label warning the public they contain alcohol.
The range of festive treats also includes Sloe Gin, Irish Whiskey and Jamaican Rum variations which contain similar amounts of alcohol.
The customer told MailOnline he was a ‘little shocked’ when the self service till prompted a member of staff to check for ID after they scanned the pies.
Aldi’s Specially Selected All Butter Almond Mince Tarts contain 4.5 per cent brandy and one customer was left shocked when he was asked to provide proof of age as a result
Mark and Spencer’s own-brand mince pies have just 1 per cent brandy which are sold at £3.50 for six
He said: ‘I looked into it a little more today, and I can see the ingredients say it contains 4.5% brandy, however, surely the alcohol has been cooked off at this stage?
‘I thought I would query it with Aldi, thinking it to be some sort of mistake, however, as per their response, they appear to think they have to age check customers for mince pies…which seems ludicrous. It’s nanny state gone mad!’
While Aldi acknowledged the incident in a subsequent email to the customer, a spokesperson has since told MailOnline that it does not have any age restrictions on their mince pie range and that this was an isolated incident.
The supermarket told the shopper: ‘Our colleagues must ensure that they follow the standards process, especially since this product contains alcohol, and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.
‘By law, all our stores have to keep to the Challenge 25 scheme. Our staff have to be vigilant as both the company and the individual Store Assistants could be prosecuted if we supply alcohol to or for anyone who is under age.
‘This is why we are always cautious if we are not sure a customer is over 25 or if the alcohol is being purchased for the accompanied person who cannot prove their age.’
Aldi’s All Butter Irish whiskey mince tarts contain three per cent alcohol
Abel and Cole’s mini mince pies contain two per cent alcohol, less than half the amount found in Aldi’s range
Analysis by MailOnline shows how other supermarkets have different levels of booze in their festive treats.
Mark and Spencer’s own-brand mince pies have just 1 per cent brandy which are sold at £3.50 for six.
Morrison’s have the cheapest snacks which are on sale for just £1.45, but they do not contain any alcohol.
They also sell a premium own-brand mince pie that contains an undisclosed amount of brandy which are sold for £2.50 in packs of six.
Waitrose sell products with an undetermined amount of brandy in the filling which are sold in packs of nine for £3.
Meanwhile, Tesco’s Finest offerings also contain a small amount of brandy in their mince pie filling which are sold at £3 for a pack of six.
Sainsbury’s sell six mince pies for £1.60 which do not have contain any alcohol.
The row comes after Asda came under fire in 2017 for refusing a sample of their mince pies to a 21-year-old student because he didn’t have ID.
Student Merryn Walker claimed the policy was ridiculous at the time.
He said: ‘It’s crazy. You could probably eat a box and not be inebriated.’ And a 25-year-old council worker said: ‘It’s health and safety gone mad.’
The BBC calculated that a person would have to eat 10 mince pies to take in the equivalent of a half a glass of beer – a single unit of alcohol.
Chef Marcus Bean said that most of the alcohol is burned off in the cooking process so it is unlikely a person could get tipsy off the festive treats.
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