Voice of London

The pies contain a tiny amount of port and brandy.

Asda has come under criticism for refusing to give a mince pie sample to a customer who was not able to present her ID to prove she was over 18 years of age.

The supermarket has been giving out slices of its Extra Special Luxury all-butter mince pies for Christmas and is now demanding shoppers to prove their identity to sample their mince pies as they contain pork and brandy.

Student Merryn Walker, 21, who was denied a sample because she had no ID at an Asda supermarket at Donnington.

Walker said:” It’s crazy. You could probably eat a whole box and not be inebriated.”

The mince pies are described as “generously filled with spiced vine fruits and a splash of rich ruby port and French brandy, all encased in crumbly shortcrust pastry.” They contain four percent brandy and 1.5 percent ruby port.

However, although customers need ID to try samples of the most popular Christmas treats, they don’t need to show proof of age to buy them.

An Asda spokesperson told The Independent: “We know our customers will love the fantastic festive food we have available this year, which is why we’re sampling bite-sized portions of some of the tasty treats in the build-up to Christmas.

“For obvious reasons products containing liquid alcohol are only offered to customers over the age of 18.

“However, mince pies are a family staple and would usually be made available to all – but, we would never criticise an individual for trying to do the right thing when presented with a customer who’s lucky enough to look younger than their years.”

Words: Alexandra Baneva| Subbed: