Cold weather makes the simple mince pie a piping hot property

The mince pie's position as the nation's favourite festive treat has been crumbling for decades. But now it is making a Christmas comeback.

Coffee shops, bakers and supermarkets are reporting soaring demand for the pastry-based snack, with sales up 70 per cent from last year.

Costa Coffee has sold 200,000 mince pies since they hit the shelves three weeks ago — the equivalent of more than 9,500 every day. Tesco has sold 15 million, with sales of its Finest range up 41 per cent.

Despite numerous attempts to reinvent the treat, including renaming it the Christmas pie and an ill-fated departure from the traditional shortcrust pastry recipe, recent arctic weather appears to have driven demand.

Tesco's mince pie buyer Andy Simpson said: "Sales are very much governed by cold weather, and once the temperature drops in the run-up to Christmas demand starts in earnest.

"Other areas of our business keep a keen eye on mince pie sales because they know that they are a good barometer for the start of Christmas shopping."

Andy Harrison, chief executive of Costa-owner Whitbread, added: "It's cold outside and while people are Christmas shopping they are warming up with a Costa mince pie."

This year retailers started putting mince pies on the shop floor earlier than ever, with Sainsbury's selling packets on September 1 — more than 100 days before Christmas.

Ingredients of the mince pie are traceable to the 13th century, when European crusaders brought the recipe back from the Middle East.