A cross-border invasion in the form of a tart from a tiny Scottish town you may recognise called Ecclefechan looks set this Christmas to outflank the mighty mince pie, loyal favourite of the English for generations.

Already the Ecclefechan Tarts, an alternative to the mince pie, are flying off the shelves all over England and Wales after Sainsbury’s buyers were convinced they should be sold nationwide when they scored top marks in taste tests earlier this year. In fact over 50,000 have been munched this month alone, with sales expected to soar, as it gets closer to Christmas.

How the pies stack up:

The Ecclefechan Tart
The tart is named after the town of Ecclefechan in Dumfries and Galloway, where the influential philosopher and historian, Thomas Carlyle was born. The style and texture of the Ecclefechan tart is reminiscent of a pecan pie. The all butter pastry contains a filling made with Demerara sugar, butter, whole eggs, sultanas, currants, nibbed almonds, diced cherries and vinegar.

VERSUS

The Mince Pie
Mince pies became a regular part of Christmas celebrations in the 16th century and were shaped to look like Christ's manger. The pies were filled with spicy fruit, nut and meat mixture and were a favourite with many famous people, such as King Henry V and King Henry VIII. Today the mince pie doesn’t contain meat but a mixture of fruits such as apples, sultanas, raisins, cherries and nuts and spices.

Amy Walker, Seasonal Bakery Buyer at Sainsbury’s, says, “Our customers are always keen to try something new and support traditional British recipes, so we knew these Ecclefechan Tarts would go down storm. We look to champion traditional British delicacies wherever possible, so are thrilled to launch this Scottish recipe.”

Sainsbury’s launched the Ecclefechan Tart as part of its campaign to champion local and regional foods and revive these on the shelves of the company's 750 stores throughout Britain.

For further information contact Karen.Leithead@visitscotland.com or visit http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/food/christmas07/cakes_puds/mince_pies.htm